Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. Buys 191 Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its position in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 11.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,817 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc.’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $649,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Egerton Capital UK LLP bought a new position in shares of Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $113,250,000. Madison Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter worth approximately $91,190,000. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC purchased a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter worth $46,505,000. Verition Fund Management LLC raised its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 1,960.2% during the 3rd quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 126,909 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,311,000 after purchasing an additional 120,749 shares during the period. Finally, HITE Hedge Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 5,233.4% during the 3rd quarter. HITE Hedge Asset Management LLC now owns 107,629 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,187,000 after buying an additional 105,611 shares in the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Trading Up 4.6 %

Shares of LAD stock opened at $320.45 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $8.42 billion, a PE ratio of 10.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.69. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.00 and a 1 year high of $405.68. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $344.48 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $342.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.28.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last issued its quarterly 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 12.43% and a net margin of 2.21%. Research analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Friday, March 7th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 7th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.66%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.14%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LAD has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com raised Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective 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 research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $371.36.

Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 248 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.84, for a total value of $72,128.32. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $377,219.48. This trade represents a 16.05 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 325 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the insider now directly owns 1,665 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $645,786.90. This trade represents a 16.33 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 1,246 shares of company stock worth $433,724. Insiders own 0.87% of the company’s stock.

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.