Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Shares Acquired by LRT Capital Management LLC

LRT Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 54.4% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 4,862 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,714 shares during the quarter. LRT Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $1,738,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Madison Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors during the fourth quarter valued at $91,190,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 208,253 shares of the company’s stock valued at $74,436,000 after acquiring an additional 2,108 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 497.7% during the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 3,676 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,314,000 after acquiring an additional 3,061 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Lithia Motors by 1,073.7% in the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,770 shares of the company’s stock worth $990,000 after buying an additional 2,534 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter worth about $35,000.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

Lithia Motors stock opened at $306.54 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $295.53 and its 200-day moving average is $339.79. The company has a market cap of $7.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.28. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.04 and a 12 month high of $405.68.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $7.66 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.77 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $9.18 billion for 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 business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $6.11 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be given a dividend of $0.55 per share. This is a boost from Lithia Motors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 9th. Lithia Motors’s payout ratio is presently 6.93%.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In related news, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 325 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $387.86, for a total transaction of $126,054.50. Following the sale, the insider now owns 1,665 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $645,786.90. The trade was a 16.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 337 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction 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 directly owns 1,632 shares in the company, valued at $482,974.08. This trade represents a 17.12% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 1,583 shares of company stock valued at $533,455. Corporate insiders own 0.87% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LAD has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Lithia Motors from $420.00 to $360.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Citigroup raised Lithia Motors from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $415.00 to $375.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $400.00 price target on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Lithia Motors from $385.00 to $328.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price target on Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $361.20.

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. Its Financing Operations segment provides financing to customers buying and leasing retail vehicles.