Short Interest in Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE:JLL) Grows By 44.1%

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE:JLL) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 856,115 shares, an increase of 44.1% from the January 29th total of 594,014 shares. Currently, 1.8% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 908,568 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.9 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 908,568 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.9 days. Currently, 1.8% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

JLL has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on shares of Jones Lang LaSalle from $405.00 to $380.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Wall Street Zen raised Jones Lang LaSalle from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. Weiss Ratings raised Jones Lang LaSalle from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Jones Lang LaSalle from $361.00 to $407.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Jones Lang LaSalle from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Jones Lang LaSalle currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $362.50.

Jones Lang LaSalle Price Performance

JLL stock traded down $7.45 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $315.28. 678,394 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 756,603. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $336.00 and a 200 day simple moving average of $318.01. The company has a market cap of $14.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.21 and a beta of 1.42. Jones Lang LaSalle has a one year low of $194.36 and a one year high of $363.06. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10.

Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The financial services provider reported $8.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.25 by $1.46. Jones Lang LaSalle had a net margin of 3.03% and a return on equity of 12.50%. The company had revenue of $7.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.45 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $6.15 EPS. Jones Lang LaSalle’s revenue was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Jones Lang LaSalle will post 16.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Jones Lang LaSalle

In other news, CEO Christian Ulbrich sold 96 shares of Jones Lang LaSalle stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.18, for a total value of $31,889.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 114,685 shares in the company, valued at approximately $38,096,063.30. This trade represents a 0.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders sold a total of 14,760 shares of company stock worth $4,878,238 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.91% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Jones Lang LaSalle

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. M&T Bank Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Jones Lang LaSalle by 184,969.0% during the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 3,864,241 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,300,201,000 after purchasing an additional 3,862,153 shares during the last quarter. EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. lifted its stake in Jones Lang LaSalle by 21.0% during the second quarter. EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. now owns 2,221,528 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $568,222,000 after buying an additional 386,184 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in shares of Jones Lang LaSalle by 17.8% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,180,514 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $397,209,000 after acquiring an additional 178,677 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB raised its holdings in shares of Jones Lang LaSalle by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 993,742 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $334,364,000 after acquiring an additional 4,543 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Jones Lang LaSalle by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 990,836 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $333,451,000 after purchasing an additional 15,995 shares during the period. 94.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Jones Lang LaSalle Company Profile

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm specializing in real estate and investment management. The company provides a broad range of services including leasing, advisory, property and asset management, capital markets, project and development services, and valuation. Through its integrated platform, JLL serves corporate occupiers, institutional investors, real estate owners and developers, offering tailored solutions that span the entire real estate lifecycle.

Founded in 1783 in London as Jones Lang Wootton, the firm established a reputation for expertise in property management and brokerage.