Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Given New $305.00 Price Target at UBS Group

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) had its target price reduced by stock analysts at UBS Group from $335.00 to $305.00 in a report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. UBS Group‘s price objective points to a potential upside of 4.77% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on LAD. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Lithia Motors from $358.00 to $310.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $315.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $455.00 to $409.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $490.00 price target on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $399.10.

Lithia Motors Trading Up 8.2%

NYSE LAD traded up $21.99 on Thursday, reaching $291.12. The stock had a trading volume of 879,344 shares, compared to its average volume of 316,320. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $333.62 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $315.12. Lithia Motors has a 12-month low of $239.78 and a 12-month high of $439.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.66, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.27.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 21st. The company reported $10.34 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.70 by $0.64. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 12.16% and a net margin of 1.88%. The business had revenue of $9.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.75 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $9.50 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Lithia Motors will post 35.60 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Stacy Congdon sold 75 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $370.73, for a total transaction of $27,804.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 2,300 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $852,679. The trade was a 3.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 1.08% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter valued at about $76,000. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 117.9% during the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 2,162 shares of the company’s stock worth $631,000 after buying an additional 1,170 shares during the period. Rare Wolf Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 7.9% during the third quarter. Rare Wolf Capital LLC now owns 7,776 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,269,000 after buying an additional 572 shares during the period. Abel Hall LLC increased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 6.1% during the third quarter. Abel Hall LLC now owns 777 shares of the company’s stock worth $227,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in Lithia Motors by 3.4% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,225 shares of the company’s stock valued at $649,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares in the last quarter.

More Lithia Motors News

Here are the key news stories impacting Lithia Motors this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings and revenue beat estimates. Adjusted EPS was $10.34 versus the $9.70 consensus, while revenue reached approximately $9.95 billion compared with expectations of $9.75 billion. Revenue increased 2.8% year over year, and adjusted EPS rose 9%. Lithia Motors Tops Q3 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Operating metrics showed improved profitability. Used-vehicle gross profit per unit increased 11% year over year, while aftersales gross margin expanded to 59.5%. Driveway Finance income climbed nearly 70% to $32.3 million, supported by record originations. Lithia Three Key Takeaways
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns were strengthened. Lithia repurchased $85 million of stock during the quarter and raised its quarterly dividend 7.1%, from $0.70 to $0.75 per share. The new annualized dividend is $3.00 per share. Lithia and Driveway Third Quarter Results
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan reduced its price target to $315 from $320 and maintained a Neutral rating. The revised target still implies potential upside, but the change signals limited near-term conviction. JPMorgan Analyst Action
• Negative Sentiment: Higher interest costs are raising concerns. Despite the earnings beat, increased borrowing costs are pressuring results and could weigh on future profitability, particularly given Lithia’s debt-heavy balance sheet. Lithia Motors Stock Sinks as Q3 Results Expose Rising Interest Costs

About Lithia Motors

Lithia Motors, Inc is an automotive retailer headquartered in Medford, Oregon. Operating under the Lithia & Driveway name, the company sells new and used vehicles through a network of franchised dealerships and digital retail channels. Its dealerships represent a broad range of domestic, Asian and European automotive brands.

In addition to vehicle sales, Lithia provides related services including vehicle financing and insurance products, parts and maintenance, collision repair, and other after-sales support.