Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Shares Sold by Strs Ohio

Strs Ohio cut its holdings in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 8.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,824 shares of the company’s stock after selling 530 shares during the quarter. Strs Ohio’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $1,917,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of LAD. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Denali Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 5,050.0% during the fourth quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 103 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Lithia Motors by 509.5% during the 3rd quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in Lithia Motors in the 2nd quarter valued at about $46,000. Finally, State of Wyoming lifted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 35.2% in the 2nd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 196 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Stock Up 0.2 %

LAD opened at $261.00 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $286.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $284.12. The company has a market cap of $7.19 billion, a PE ratio of 7.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.58. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 1 year low of $206.69 and a 1 year high of $331.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 1.41.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 14th. The company reported $8.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $8.11 by $0.13. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 3.22% and a return on equity of 17.33%. The company had revenue of $7.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.95 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $9.05 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 35.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Investors of record on Saturday, March 9th were issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.77%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio is currently 5.51%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on LAD. Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Wednesday, January 17th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $400.00 price objective for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $334.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. Guggenheim dropped their target price on Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $297.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Lithia Motors from $298.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $334.60.

Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

In other news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 135 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.84, for a total value of $40,208.40. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 1,662 shares in the company, valued at $495,010.08. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.79% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.