KBC Group NV Has $346,000 Position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

KBC Group NV increased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 12.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,178 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $346,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vident Advisory LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 780 shares of the company’s stock valued at $279,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Lithia Motors by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 2,421 shares of the company’s stock worth $711,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its holdings in Lithia Motors by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 700 shares of the company’s stock worth $250,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Mariner LLC increased its position in Lithia Motors by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 1,475 shares of the company’s stock valued at $527,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. Finally, Isthmus Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 4.6% during the fourth quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 1,147 shares of the company’s stock valued at $410,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on LAD shares. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $340.00 price objective on the stock. Guggenheim lowered their price objective on Lithia Motors from $417.00 to $356.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Lithia Motors from $420.00 to $360.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $430.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, June 16th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $415.00 to $375.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $379.40.

Lithia Motors Trading Up 0.3%

LAD opened at $352.90 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $320.22 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $327.68. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.04 and a 1-year high of $405.68. The company has a market cap of $9.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.46. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $7.66 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.77 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.19 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.30% and a return on equity of 12.74%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $6.11 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 9th were paid a dividend of $0.55 per share. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.62%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 9th. This is a positive change from Lithia Motors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. Lithia Motors’s payout ratio is 6.93%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In other news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 337 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.94, for a total transaction of $99,731.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,632 shares in the company, valued at $482,974.08. This trade represents a 17.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.87% of the company’s stock.

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.