Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Director Shauna Mcintyre Sells 138 Shares

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 138 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $254.42, for a total value of $35,109.96. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,228 shares in the company, valued at $566,847.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Shauna Mcintyre also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Friday, February 16th, Shauna Mcintyre sold 135 shares of Lithia Motors stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.84, for a total transaction of $40,208.40.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

LAD opened at $251.20 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 1.17. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 52-week low of $206.69 and a 52-week high of $331.96. The firm has a market cap of $6.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.59. The business’s fifty day moving average is $280.22 and its 200-day moving average is $283.13.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $6.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.85 by ($1.74). Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 15.62% and a net margin of 2.87%. The firm had revenue of $8.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.58 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $8.44 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 22.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 33.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 29th. StockNews.com upgraded Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $334.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. Bank of America increased their price objective on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Finally, Evercore ISI assumed coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Wednesday, January 17th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $400.00 target price for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lithia Motors currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $318.55.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors during the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. Denali Advisors LLC raised its stake in Lithia Motors by 5,050.0% during the fourth quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 103 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 509.5% in the third quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Finally, Rise Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 80.2% during the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 191 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter.

About Lithia Motors

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.