Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Stake Lessened by SG Americas Securities LLC

SG Americas Securities LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 63.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,026 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,798 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $367,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Lithia Motors by 1,073.7% in the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,770 shares of the company’s stock worth $990,000 after buying an additional 2,534 shares in the last quarter. Red Spruce Capital LLC grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 11.0% in the 4th quarter. Red Spruce Capital LLC now owns 9,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,253,000 after buying an additional 905 shares during the last quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter valued at $202,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake 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 buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wedge Capital Management L L P NC acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter worth $46,505,000.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LAD has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Benchmark began coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $400.00 price target on the stock. Stephens lifted their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $343.00 to $346.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $405.00 to $400.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $357.40.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In other Lithia Motors news, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 242 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $382.86, for a total transaction of $92,652.12. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,729 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $661,964.94. This represents a 12.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Tina Miller sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $392.72, for a total transaction of $392,720.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,403 shares in the company, valued at $4,085,466.16. The trade was a 8.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 38,770 shares of company stock valued at $15,103,607 over the last 90 days. 1.79% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 2.6 %

Lithia Motors stock opened at $366.22 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $364.65 and a 200-day moving average of $328.32. 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 $9.75 billion, a PE ratio of 12.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 1.67. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a twelve month low of $243.00 and a twelve month high of $405.67.

Lithia Motors 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.