Cetera Investment Advisers Reduces Stock Position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Cetera Investment Advisers lowered its position in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 15.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,459 shares of the company’s stock after selling 628 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers’ holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $1,236,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 69.9% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 33.9% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 146 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 1,420.0% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 152 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period.

Lithia Motors Stock Up 0.4%

NYSE:LAD opened at $306.93 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $7.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.34, a P/E/G ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 1.19. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.04 and a fifty-two week high of $405.68. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $298.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $338.55.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $7.66 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.77 by ($0.11). Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.21% and a return on equity of 12.43%. The firm had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.19 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $6.11 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be paid a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. This is a positive change from Lithia Motors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.72%. Lithia Motors’s payout ratio is currently 6.93%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LAD has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $400.00 target price on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $420.00 to $360.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $397.00 to $308.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Finally, Guggenheim lowered their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $417.00 to $356.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Four equities 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 stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $361.20.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 337 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.94, for a total value of $99,731.78. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,632 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $482,974.08. This trade represents a 17.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 270 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $298.80, for a total transaction of $80,676.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,213 shares in the company, valued at approximately $362,444.40. The trade was a 18.21% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 855 shares of company stock worth $252,536 over the last three months. 0.87% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Lithia Motors

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.