Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Lithia Motors, Inc. has received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from ten analysts. One analyst rated it a sell, three a hold, and six a buy. Price targets have been adjusted by several firms, with an average target reported. Recent insider transactions involved directors selling significant shares. Institutional investors have also updated their positions in the company. As of the latest report, shares opened at $...73, with a 12-month price range of $...36 to $...96 and a market cap of $1.16 billion.

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the ten analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $321.50.

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A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Lithia Motors from $280.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $266.00 to $302.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Guggenheim raised Lithia Motors from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $338.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Lithia Motors from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th.

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Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

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In related news, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.86, for a total value of $3,472,286.68. Following the sale, the director now owns 46,129 shares of the company's stock, valued at $13,417,080.94. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 306 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $289.65, for a total transaction of $88,632.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,922 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $556,707.30. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.86, for a total value of $3,472,286.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 46,129 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,417,080.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.79% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter valued at $6,072,000. California Public Employees Retirement System lifted its position in Lithia Motors by 15.9% in the fourth quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 47,207 shares of the company's stock valued at $15,544,000 after acquiring an additional 6,485 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new position in Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter valued at $49,000. Truist Financial Corp grew its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 16,702 shares of the company's stock worth $5,500,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp increased its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 148.1% during the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 10,604 shares of the company's stock worth $3,492,000 after purchasing an additional 6,330 shares in the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Trading Down 0.3 %

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Shares of Lithia Motors stock opened at $297.73 on Thursday. Lithia Motors has a twelve month low of $231.36 and a twelve month high of $331.96. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $268.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $272.26. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.16 billion, a PE ratio of 8.79, a P/E/G ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 1.63.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $7.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $7.09 by $0.78. The business had revenue of $9.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.29 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.52% and a return on equity of 13.81%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $10.91 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Lithia Motors will post 27.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 9th were given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.71%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th. Lithia Motors's dividend payout ratio is currently 6.26%.

Lithia Motors Company Profile

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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.

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