Steamboat Capital Partners LLC Has $3.44 Million Holdings in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Steamboat Capital Partners LLC trimmed its stake in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 1.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,632 shares of the company’s stock after selling 186 shares during the period. Lithia Motors comprises approximately 1.1% of Steamboat Capital Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest position. Steamboat Capital Partners LLC’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $3,443,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in Lithia Motors by 69.9% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its holdings in Lithia Motors by 33.9% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 146 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. increased its holdings in Lithia Motors by 1,420.0% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 152 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LAD opened at $323.64 on Friday. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.04 and a fifty-two week high of $405.68. The stock has a market cap of $8.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.90, a PEG ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.48. 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 firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $297.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $339.25.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $7.66 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.77 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.19 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.21% and a return on equity of 12.43%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $6.11 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be paid a $0.55 dividend. This is a positive change from Lithia Motors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 9th. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.68%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.93%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In other news, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 270 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $298.80, for a total transaction of $80,676.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 1,213 shares in the company, valued at $362,444.40. This trade represents a 18.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 337 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.94, for a total transaction of $99,731.78. Following the sale, the director now owns 1,632 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $482,974.08. The trade was a 17.12% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 855 shares of company stock worth $252,536. Insiders own 0.87% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LAD has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $397.00 to $308.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $385.00 to $328.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Guggenheim cut their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $417.00 to $356.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 price target on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Finally, Citigroup raised shares of Lithia Motors from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $415.00 to $375.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $361.20.

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.