Key Points
- Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 245 shares of Lithia Motors on May 11 at an average price of $294.64, totaling about $72,187. After the sale, she still held 1,846 shares, a reduction of 11.72% in her position.
- Lithia Motors reported better-than-expected Q1 results, posting EPS of $7.34 versus the $7.06 consensus and revenue of $9.27 billion, slightly above estimates. Revenue rose 1.0% year over year.
- The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.57 per share from $0.55, implying an annualized payout of $2.28 and a yield of 0.8%. Analysts currently have a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with a target price of $367.22.
Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 245 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $294.64, for a total value of $72,186.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,846 shares in the company, valued at $543,905.44. This represents a 11.72% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.
Lithia Motors Price Performance
NYSE LAD opened at $276.50 on Wednesday. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $267.58 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $301.68. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 1 year low of $239.78 and a 1 year high of $360.55. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41. The company has a market cap of $6.31 billion, a PE ratio of 9.71, a PEG ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.28.
Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $7.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.06 by $0.28. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 1.88% and a return on equity of 12.49%. The company had revenue of $9.27 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.22 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $7.66 EPS. The company's revenue was up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.44 EPS for the current year.
Lithia Motors Increases Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 8th will be given a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 8th. This is an increase from Lithia Motors's previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. Lithia Motors's payout ratio is currently 8.01%.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CoreCap Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Eastern Bank bought a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 111.4% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 93 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the period. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its holdings in Lithia Motors by 75.0% in the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 105 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of equities analysts recently commented on LAD shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Lithia Motors from $293.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $326.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $335.00 to $320.00 in a report on Monday, April 13th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $367.22.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on LAD
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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