Key Points
- Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 75 shares on March 12 at an average price of $259.33 for $19,449.75, leaving them with 1,735 shares (a 4.14% reduction in their holding).
- Lithia missed quarterly EPS estimates, reporting $6.74 EPS versus analysts' $8.09 estimate while revenue of $9.20 billion was roughly in line with expectations.
- The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.55 per share (ex-dividend March 6, payable March 20), equal to a $2.20 annualized payout and about a 0.9% yield.
Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 75 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $259.33, for a total transaction of $19,449.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,735 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $449,937.55. This represents a 4.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.
Lithia Motors Price Performance
Shares of NYSE:LAD opened at $254.90 on Friday. The company's fifty day moving average price is $308.23 and its 200-day moving average price is $317.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 0.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.93, a PEG ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.20. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a one year low of $251.00 and a one year high of $360.55.
Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 period in the prior year, the firm posted $7.79 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Lithia Motors Announces Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.55 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Lithia Motors's payout ratio is 6.85%.
Institutional Trading of Lithia Motors
Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Lithia Motors by 26.8% in the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 156 shares of the company's stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. AGP Franklin LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. AGP Franklin LLC now owns 10,459 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,305,000 after buying an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System grew its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 7,702 shares of the company's stock worth $2,434,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 9.2% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 403 shares of the company's stock worth $134,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Finally, M&T Bank Corp raised its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 1,488 shares of the company's stock worth $503,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several equities analysts have recently commented on LAD shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Lithia Motors from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $335.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Lithia Motors from $358.00 to $355.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Bank of America began coverage on Lithia Motors in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a "neutral" rating for the company. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $399.00 to $366.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $382.33.
Read Our Latest Report on Lithia Motors
Lithia Motors Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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