Lithia Motors’ (LAD) “Buy” Rating Reiterated at Benchmark

Benchmark reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $400.00 price objective on the stock.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on the company. Guggenheim raised 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. StockNews.com raised shares of Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $346.00 to $397.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $371.36.

Lithia Motors Trading Down 2.8 %

Shares of LAD stock opened at $350.44 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The company has a market capitalization of $9.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.81, a P/E/G ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.67. Lithia Motors has a 12-month low of $243.00 and a 12-month high of $405.67. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $362.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $338.25.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $7.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.33 by $0.46. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.21% and a return on equity of 12.43%. Research analysts forecast that Lithia Motors will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.60%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.14%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 325 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $387.86, for a total transaction of $126,054.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 1,665 shares in the company, valued at approximately $645,786.90. The trade was a 16.33 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, COO Adam Chamberlain sold 403 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.28, for a total transaction of $154,864.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 8,470 shares of company stock valued at $3,370,439 over the last three months. Company insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithia Motors

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LAD. Forum Financial Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Lithia Motors during the fourth quarter worth about $202,000. Peak Retirement Planning Inc. acquired a new position in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter worth approximately $874,000. Vise Technologies Inc. bought a new position in shares of Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter worth approximately $271,000. Castleark Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 78.5% in the fourth quarter. Castleark Management LLC now owns 15,300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,469,000 after purchasing an additional 6,730 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 16.5% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 79,763 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,510,000 after purchasing an additional 11,315 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.