Lithia Motors, Inc. $LAD Shares Sold by Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH lessened its position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 32.3% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 6,845 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,259 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $2,312,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in LAD. CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 30.1% during the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 212 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the first quarter valued at about $226,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 26.9% during the first quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 2,399 shares of the company’s stock worth $704,000 after buying an additional 509 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its holdings in Lithia Motors by 54.6% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 5,347 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,570,000 after buying an additional 1,888 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 30.6% during the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,711 shares of the company’s stock valued at $502,000 after acquiring an additional 401 shares during the period.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

LAD stock opened at $305.07 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $7.40 billion, a PE ratio of 8.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $311.12 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $318.55. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 12-month low of $262.10 and a 12-month high of $405.67.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The company reported $9.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.53 by $0.97. The business had revenue of $9.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.38 billion. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 13.42% and a net margin of 2.39%.The company’s revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $8.21 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 7th were given a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 7th. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio is presently 6.37%.

Lithia Motors declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, August 26th that allows the company to buyback $750.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on LAD. Weiss Ratings lowered Lithia Motors from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $385.00 to $399.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $317.00 to $327.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $500.00 to $385.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 10th. Finally, Barclays initiated coverage on Lithia Motors in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $410.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $389.10.

Lithia Motors 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.