Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also commented on the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Lithia Motors from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Bank of America dropped their price target on Lithia Motors from $335.00 to $320.00 in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Barclays dropped their price target on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $370.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Lithia Motors from $355.00 to $293.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on Lithia Motors from $366.00 to $326.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $361.00.

Lithia Motors Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE LAD opened at $274.81 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 1.17. Lithia Motors has a 52 week low of $239.78 and a 52 week high of $360.55. The stock has a market cap of $6.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.55, a PEG ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.22. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $268.57 and a 200 day simple moving average of $303.16.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $6.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.09 by ($1.35). Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 12.76% and a net margin of 2.18%.The company had revenue of $9.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.19 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $7.79 EPS. Lithia Motors’s quarterly revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Lithia Motors will post 34.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th were given a dividend of $0.55 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 6th. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.85%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. CoreCap Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its position in Lithia Motors by 111.4% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 93 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000.

Lithia Motors Company Profile

Lithia Motors, Inc is an American automotive retailer headquartered in Medford, Oregon. Founded in 1946 as a small auto body and glass shop, the company has grown through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to become one of the largest automotive retail networks in North America. Lithia operates dealerships across the United States and Canada, offering a broad portfolio of new and pre-owned vehicles from more than 40 different manufacturers.

The company’s core business activities include vehicle sales, financing, insurance, parts and service.