Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Stake Raised by Sterling Capital Management LLC

Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 50.8% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 1,558 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 525 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $557,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Lithia Motors during the third quarter valued at approximately $217,000. Tidal Investments LLC increased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 19.8% in the third quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 3,927 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,247,000 after acquiring an additional 648 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 2.4% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 95,899 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,585,000 after acquiring an additional 2,261 shares during the last quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama raised its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 46.9% during the third quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 75,984 shares of the company’s stock worth $24,136,000 after acquiring an additional 24,258 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in Lithia Motors by 17.0% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 259,916 shares of the company’s stock valued at $82,560,000 after purchasing an additional 37,677 shares during the last quarter.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 248 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.84, for a total value of $72,128.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $377,219.48. This represents a 16.05 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 325 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $387.86, for a total transaction of $126,054.50. Following the sale, the insider now owns 1,665 shares in the company, valued at $645,786.90. This represents a 16.33 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 1,246 shares of company stock worth $433,724 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.87% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Lithia Motors from $346.00 to $397.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $420.00 to $360.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $365.91.

Lithia Motors Trading Up 1.8 %

Shares of NYSE:LAD opened at $288.27 on Friday. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.00 and a 52-week high of $405.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 1.19. The company has a market cap of $7.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.71, a P/E/G ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.61. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $315.91 and its 200-day moving average is $341.30.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $7.79 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 predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th were issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 7th. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.14%.

Lithia Motors Company Profile

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.