Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the ten research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $357.40.

LAD has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Benchmark assumed coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $400.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Lithia Motors from $405.00 to $400.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Lithia Motors from $343.00 to $346.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Stephens increased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

Shares of LAD stock opened at $345.20 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 1.18. The company has a market capitalization of $9.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.83 and a beta of 1.67. Lithia Motors has a one year low of $243.00 and a one year high of $405.67. The company’s 50-day moving average is $365.93 and its 200 day moving average is $323.39.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $8.21 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.60 by $0.61. The business had revenue of $9.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.46 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 12.95%. The firm’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $9.25 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Lithia Motors will post 29.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In other Lithia Motors news, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 242 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $382.86, for a total value of $92,652.12. Following the sale, the insider now owns 1,729 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $661,964.94. The trade was a 12.28 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Bryan B. Deboer sold 6,742 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $400.00, for a total value of $2,696,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 174,445 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $69,778,000. This represents a 3.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 38,770 shares of company stock valued at $15,103,607. 1.79% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of LAD. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in Lithia Motors by 69.9% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in Lithia Motors by 30.5% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 167 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in Lithia Motors by 49.3% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 200 shares of the company’s stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. Finally, Signaturefd LLC lifted 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 during 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.