Kettle Hill Dumps 777,000 LKQ Shares Worth $23.4 Million

What happened

According to an SEC filing dated Feb. 17, 2026, Kettle Hill Capital Management reduced its position in LKQ (LKQ +0.16%) by 777,476 shares during the fourth quarter. The estimated transaction value for these sales was $23.45 million, calculated using the period’s average share price. At quarter-end, the LKQ holding’s value was $11.65 million, down $23.88 million from the prior quarter due to both trading and price movement.

What else to know

• Kettle Hill’s sale brought LKQ to 2.6% of 13F assets under management as of Dec. 31, 2025.
• Top five holdings after the filing:
  • Elastic NV: $29.69 million (6.6% of AUM)
  • Unity Software: $29.06 million (6.5% of AUM)
  • RH: $28.87 million (6.4% of AUM)
  • Penn Entertainment: $26.16 million (5.8% of AUM)
  • Wynn Resorts: $25.89 million (5.8% of AUM)
• As of Feb. 17, 2026, LKQ shares were priced at $32.51, down 16.8% over the past year and trailing the S&P 500 by 28.8 percentage points.
• The LKQ position was previously 8% of Kettle Hill’s AUM as of the prior quarter.

Company overview

Company snapshot

• Distributes automotive replacement parts, components, and systems including body panels, mechanical parts, glass, and specialty products for vehicles.
• Operates a diversified distribution model across North America and Europe, generating revenue through the sale of new and recycled parts to repair shops, dealerships, and retail customers.
• Serves collision and mechanical repair shops, new and used car dealerships, and retail consumers in the United States, Canada, and various European markets.

LKQ is a leading global distributor of automotive replacement parts, with operations spanning North America and Europe. The company leverages scale and a broad product portfolio to supply both new and recycled components for vehicle repair and maintenance.

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NASDAQ: LKQ

LKQ

Today’s Change

(0.16%) $0.05

Current Price

$31.51

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$8.0B

Day’s Range

$30.58 - $31.55

52wk Range

$28.13 - $44.82

Volume

43K

Avg Vol

3.8M

Gross Margin

36.02%

Dividend Yield

3.81%

What this transaction means for investors

Down 26% year over year as of March 6, the 28-year-old company is currently going through a period of transition. It has been under pressure from activist investor Ananym Capital since October to sell parts of its business. In November, the company announced it had tapped Bank of America to help it sell its specialty parts division, Keystone Automotive Industries, to maximize shareholder value. The division could be worth roughly $1 billion, according to internal valuations. In January, Reuters reported LKQ’s board was exploring strategic options, including a potential sale of the company. And just this week, board director Patrick Berard notified the company that he will not seek re-election to the company’s board of directors.

LKQ announced its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 financial results in February, with CFO and Senior Vice President Rick Galloway highlighting the company’s focus on “simplification and productivity in an uncertain demand environment.” The stock is up more than 4% year to date amid a broader tech sector pullback that has the S&P 500 trading flat to slightly down. The auto parts market is often seen as a safe haven for investors amid economic uncertainty, but operational performance still matters for individual companies.