Skip to main content
LEALear CorporationSell5.7·$130.85+0.35%
LEA · Why this verdict

Why Lear (LEA) is rated SELL

Updated

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Show full disclosure ▾

About TrendMatrix. TrendMatrix is a publisher of general securities research and market commentary. We publish on a regular schedule. All content is the same for every subscriber in a tier — we do not provide personalized investment advice and we do not take into account any individual subscriber's financial situation, investment objectives, risk tolerance, tax situation, or holdings.

Not investment advice. TrendMatrix is not a registered investment adviser. Our content is for informational and educational purposes only. Consult your own licensed investment adviser, broker, or tax professional before making any investment decision.

Conflicts and positions. The TrendMatrix editorial team frequently holds personal long-term positions in securities discussed. We disclose positions held at the time of publication on each piece. We maintain a trading-window policy: we do not initiate or close positions in the same direction as a TrendMatrix publication within 24 hours before or 72 hours after publication.

No paid promotion. TrendMatrix does not accept payment from any issuer, broker, or third party in exchange for coverage of any security. Our sole compensation is subscription revenue.

No fiduciary duty. No fiduciary, advisory, or agency relationship is created between you and TrendMatrix by reading our content or subscribing to our service.

Performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Performance figures reflect the published model only and do not reflect any individual subscriber's actual results.

Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

VerdictSELL
Overall score5.7/10
ConfidenceMEDIUM
MacroNEUTRAL

Thesis pillars

Revenue has declined roughly 10% year-over-year alongside a debt-to-equity of 1.6, a combination that compresses financial flexibility and raises the probability that the low valuation multiple reflects structural rather than cyclical headwinds.

Stable
Bear case
Expectation
Revenue growth turns positive and exceeds 3% year-over-year for 2 consecutive quarters while debt-to-equity falls below 1.4.

CounterEarnings growth has still managed to outpace revenue trends, suggesting efficiency improvements or favorable mix-shift are partially offsetting top-line pressure — if that margin dynamic holds, the leverage concern may not crystallize.

The company's quality metrics sit exactly at the minimum acceptable floor, with no identified competitive moat and an overall financial profile that leaves little buffer if operating conditions deteriorate further.

Stable
Quality breakdown
Expectation
Piotroski F-Score improves above 8 out of 9 and operating margins expand for 2 consecutive quarters, signaling a meaningful quality recovery.

CounterA Piotroski F-Score of 7 out of 9 indicates balance sheet mechanics are healthier than the moat assessment alone implies, suggesting the quality picture is mixed rather than uniformly weak.

With just 1.5% headroom to the price target and a reward-to-risk ratio of 0.23-to-1, the current geometry places far more expected loss than gain — removing the margin of safety that new commitment requires.

Stable
Warnings
Expectation
Consensus analyst price targets are revised upward to more than 10% above the current price of $144.44 — specifically above $159 — restoring a geometry that supports reentry.

CounterThe company has beaten estimates in 3 of the last 4 quarters, with the two most recent quarters delivering beats of 10% and 22%; sustained outperformance could prompt upward target revisions that restore upside geometry without a price pullback.

With the momentum score at the floor of the minimum gate threshold, on-balance volume declining, and the price action range-bound with no clear catalyst, the weight of technical evidence leans toward distribution rather than accumulation.

Stable
Momentum breakdown
Expectation
RSI rises above 60 from the current level of 53 and on-balance volume turns positive for more than 30 consecutive days.

CounterRSI near 53 is technically neutral — neither overbought nor oversold — and the stock's position above the 200-day moving average means the trend has not broken down; a modest positive catalyst could shift the balance quickly.

TrendMatrix Research · core thesis

Engine thesis — one sentence

Lear Corporation's stock has reached and nearly exhausted its calculated price target — leaving the reward-to-risk geometry at 0.23-to-1 — while declining revenue, elevated leverage, and quality metrics sitting exactly at the minimum acceptable floor combine to limit the investment case for new commitment.

Falsifiable statement — pillar-level invalidators below. Engine-derived; not personalized advice.

Per-dimension breakdown

Value

8.3/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
P/E8.4
P/S10.0
EV/EBITDA8.5
Fwd P/E9.6
PEG10.0
Analyst target4.0
  • Forward P/E: 7.6x
  • PEG: 0.06
  • Attractively valued

Quality

4.0/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
ROE4.1
ROA3.0
Gross margin0.0
Op margin2.0
Net margin1.1
Current ratio5.0
FCF quality7.8
Moat5.0
Piotroski F7.8
  • No competitive moat
  • Strong Piotroski F-Score: 7/9

Growth

6.8/10data confidence 67%
ComponentSub-score
Rev growth3.7
EPS growth10.0

Momentum

4.0/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
RSI8.4
MACD0.0
OBV6.2
MA position4.0
Volume1.6
  • Oversold in uptrend (RSI 24)
  • Above 200-day MA

Sentiment

6.7/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
Analyst rating7.2
Price target6.9
erm sentiment5.5

Insider

3.4/10data confidence 75%
ComponentSub-score
materiality3.0
insider conviction2.0
holder change5.1
  • Notable insider selling — $9,240,688 (0.141% of mkt cap)

Peer rank

4.3/10data confidence 80%
ComponentSub-score
value rank8.5
quality rank5.4
growth rank3.4
  • Attractive P/E vs peers

Technical

7.8/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
bollinger9.5
support resistance9.1
52w position7.5
gap5.0

Risk (lower is worse)

5.3/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
short interest7.1
days to cover7.7
volatility5.2
put call0.0
implied vol3.9
beta6.0
debt equity7.0
  • Elevated put/call: 2.00
  • Concentration risks: 2 MED (10-K Item 1A)

Catalyst

6.6/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
erm5.0
earnings history10.0
earnings timing5.0
surprise avg7.1
dividend safety6.0
  • Strong earnings: 3B/0M
  • Dividend: 235.0%

How the verdict was assembled

Engine trigger

Quality below minimum threshold.

Engine technical detail
verdict_path: L1:HARD_BLOCK
Passed (6)
  • INSIDER:OK
  • 8K:CLEAN
  • NEWS_EVENTS:NONE_RECENT
  • EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:28d clear
  • SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
  • MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
Failed (2)
  • MOMENTUM:4.0<4.5
  • ASYMMETRY:-0.2=NEGATIVE
Warning (0)

none

Reward-to-Risk
-0.25
Upside
-1.5%
Downside
5.8%
Sizing output
AVOID

Setup No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed

EdgeCatalyst-Driven Earnings in 28d with 3/4 beat streak

SuitabilityModerate Balanced profile

Investment implication

The L1 gate blocked the positive-verdict path: a hard-floor threshold was breached, so dimensional pillars — including Value at 8.3 could not lift the engine output above the verdict floor. Failed gate signal: MOMENTUM:4.0<4.5.

The strongest dimensions are Value at 8.3, Technical at 7.8, and Growth at 6.8; the weakest are Insider at 3.4, Momentum at 4.0, and Quality at 4.0. The V9 engine flagged 2 failed gates, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of -0.25 and an engine sizing output of AVOID.

What would invalidate the thesis

Falsifying conditions — when triggered, the corresponding pillar's thesis is invalidated.

  • P1Price At Target Negative Geometry

    Trip ifConsensus analyst price target is revised above $159 — more than 10% above the current price of $144.44 — within 2 quarters.

  • P2Revenue Decline High Leverage

    Trip ifRevenue growth turns positive and exceeds 3% year-over-year for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P3Quality At Minimum Threshold

    Trip ifPiotroski F-Score rises above 8 out of 9 for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P4Momentum At Gate Floor

    Trip ifRSI rises above 60 from the current level of 53 and on-balance volume turns positive for more than 30 consecutive days.

Engine reasoning is mechanically derived from pipeline gate outputs. See decision view.

Home Stocks LEA Why this verdict