Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) COO Sells $154,864.84 in Stock

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) COO Adam Chamberlain sold 403 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $384.28, for a total value of $154,864.84. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 2,605 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,001,049.40. This trade represents a 13.40 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE LAD opened at $380.41 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.98, a PEG ratio of 4.90 and a beta of 1.67. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $363.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $334.89. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.00 and a 52-week high of $405.67.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $7.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.33 by $0.46. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 12.95% and a net margin of 2.31%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 29.23 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, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.56%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio is 7.24%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on LAD shares. Benchmark started coverage on Lithia Motors in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $400.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Lithia Motors from $405.00 to $400.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 17th. StockNews.com upgraded Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Stephens raised their price objective on Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, Guggenheim increased their target price on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $362.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of LAD. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new position in Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in Lithia Motors by 69.9% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its holdings in Lithia Motors by 1,420.0% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 152 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares in the last quarter.

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.