Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Cut to Sell at StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report released on Tuesday morning.

Several other research analysts have also recently commented on the company. Bank of America boosted their target price on Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Guggenheim raised Lithia Motors from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $338.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, August 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Lithia Motors from $280.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Craig Hallum decreased their price target on Lithia Motors from $350.00 to $310.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $321.50.

Lithia Motors Trading Up 4.2 %

Shares of NYSE LAD opened at $292.47 on Tuesday. Lithia Motors has a twelve month low of $231.36 and a twelve month high of $331.96. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $261.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of $272.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.02 billion, a PE ratio of 8.63, a PEG ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 1.63.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $7.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.09 by $0.78. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 13.81% and a net margin of 2.52%. The business had revenue of $9.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.29 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $10.91 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Lithia Motors will post 27.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 9th. Lithia Motors’s payout ratio is currently 6.26%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 306 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $289.65, for a total value of $88,632.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 1,922 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $556,707.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lithia Motors

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LAD. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in Lithia Motors by 889.8% during the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,336 shares of the company’s stock valued at $769,000 after acquiring an additional 2,100 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $6,072,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its stake in Lithia Motors by 514.8% during the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 664 shares of the company’s stock valued at $219,000 after acquiring an additional 556 shares during the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $423,000. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,535,000.

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.