Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Price Target Raised to $420.00

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) had its price target lifted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $400.00 to $420.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on LAD. Guggenheim increased their price target on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. StockNews.com raised Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Lithia Motors from $346.00 to $397.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Stephens lifted their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $371.36.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 2.8 %

Shares of Lithia Motors stock opened at $350.44 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $362.13 and its 200 day moving average is $337.85. The firm has a market cap of $9.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.81, a PEG ratio of 4.70 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.28. Lithia Motors has a one year low of $243.00 and a one year high of $405.67.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $7.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.33 by $0.46. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 12.43% and a net margin of 2.21%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors will post 34.45 EPS for the current year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.60%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.14%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Tina Miller sold 1,000 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $392.72, for a total value of $392,720.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 10,403 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,085,466.16. The trade was a 8.77 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, COO Adam Chamberlain sold 403 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $384.28, for a total transaction of $154,864.84. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 2,605 shares in the company, valued at $1,001,049.40. This trade represents a 13.40 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 8,470 shares of company stock valued at $3,370,439. 1.79% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 69.9% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 33.9% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 146 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 1,420.0% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 152 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 142 shares in the last quarter.

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.