Amalgamated Bank Buys 2,992 Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Amalgamated Bank increased its position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 16.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,759 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,992 shares during the quarter. Amalgamated Bank owned approximately 0.08% of Lithia Motors worth $6,836,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of LAD. Xponance Inc. increased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 3,492 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,150,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 32.0% in the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 231 shares of the company’s stock valued at $68,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 17,113 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,054,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina boosted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 0.5% during the third quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 11,886 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,510,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Lithia Motors by 2.2% in the third quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,109 shares of the company’s stock worth $918,000 after buying an additional 67 shares in the last quarter.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 135 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $297.84, for a total transaction of $40,208.40. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 1,662 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $495,010.08. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LAD opened at $253.48 on Monday. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 52 week low of $206.69 and a 52 week high of $331.96. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $279.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $283.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The firm has a market cap of $6.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.48, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.59.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $6.11 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.85 by ($1.74). The business had revenue of $8.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.58 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.87% and a return on equity of 15.62%. Lithia Motors’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $8.44 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 32.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 10th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.84%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 9th. This is a positive change from Lithia Motors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio is currently 5.90%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on LAD shares. Evercore ISI started coverage on Lithia Motors in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $400.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $285.00 to $270.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 29th. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $280.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Finally, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $375.00 price objective on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Lithia Motors currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $318.55.

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.