Short Interest in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Decreases By 14.7%

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,980,000 shares, a decline of 14.7% from the December 15th total of 2,320,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 278,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 7.1 days. Currently, 7.6% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 242 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $382.86, for a total value of $92,652.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 1,729 shares in the company, valued at $661,964.94. This trade represents a 12.28 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, COO Chris Holzshu sold 8,520 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $335.21, for a total transaction of $2,855,989.20. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 32,054 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,744,821.34. This represents a 21.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 47,290 shares of company stock valued at $17,959,596 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in Lithia Motors by 69.9% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 30.5% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 167 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 49.3% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 200 shares of the company’s stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 23.9% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 249 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

NYSE LAD opened at $351.33 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $368.56 and its 200 day moving average price is $319.89. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. Lithia Motors has a twelve month low of $243.00 and a twelve month high of $405.67. The company has a market capitalization of $9.36 billion, a PE ratio of 11.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.77 and a beta of 1.67.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $8.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.60 by $0.61. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 12.95%. The business had revenue of $9.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.46 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $9.25 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Lithia Motors will post 29.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Investors of record on Friday, November 8th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. Lithia Motors’s payout ratio is 7.24%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on LAD shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Lithia Motors from $405.00 to $400.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Stephens raised their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $280.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, September 27th. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Lithia Motors from $343.00 to $346.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Lithia Motors currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $357.40.

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.