Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Reaches New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $377.50 and last traded at $377.44, with a volume of 11160 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $371.36.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on LAD. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Stephens increased their price objective on Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $280.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, September 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $299.00 to $343.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $353.80.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 3.2 %

The stock has a market cap of $9.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.65 and a beta of 1.63. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $314.21 and its 200 day moving average is $283.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.27.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $8.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.60 by $0.61. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 12.95% and a net margin of 2.31%. The business had revenue of $9.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.46 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $9.25 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 29.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Investors of record on Friday, November 8th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.57%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.24%.

Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

In related news, COO Chris Holzshu sold 8,520 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $335.21, for a total transaction of $2,855,989.20. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 32,054 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,744,821.34. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, COO Chris Holzshu sold 8,520 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $335.21, for a total transaction of $2,855,989.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 32,054 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,744,821.34. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.86, for a total transaction of $3,472,286.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 46,129 shares in the company, valued at $13,417,080.94. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 31,235 shares of company stock worth $9,301,973. Corporate insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of LAD. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 83.6% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 134 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in Lithia Motors during the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Lithia Motors by 12,500.0% during the 2nd quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 252 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 23.9% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 249 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the 2nd quarter valued at about $80,000.

Lithia Motors Company Profile

Lithia Motors, Inc operates as an automotive retailer worldwide. It operates in two segments, Vehicle Operations and Financing Operations. The company’s Vehicle Operations segment sells new and used vehicles; provides parts, repair, and maintenance services; vehicle finance; and insurance products. Its Financing Operations segment provides financing to customers buying and leasing retail vehicles.