Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Price Target Raised to $358.00

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) had its price target lifted by Wells Fargo & Company from $327.00 to $358.00 in a research note published on Monday,Benzinga reports. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

LAD has been the topic of several other research reports. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Weiss Ratings cut Lithia Motors from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $440.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $410.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $392.20.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

Shares of LAD stock opened at $332.89 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.07 billion, a PE ratio of 9.64 and a beta of 1.18. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $323.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $321.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. Lithia Motors has a twelve month low of $262.10 and a twelve month high of $405.14.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The company reported $9.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $8.53 by $0.97. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.39% and a return on equity of 13.42%. The firm had revenue of $9.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $8.21 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 75 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $360.00, for a total value of $27,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,810 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $651,600. The trade was a 3.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.87% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithia Motors

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of LAD. AGP Franklin LLC boosted its position in Lithia Motors by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. AGP Franklin LLC now owns 10,459 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,305,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System raised its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 0.4% during the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 7,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,434,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 9.2% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 403 shares of the company’s stock worth $134,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp grew its position in Lithia Motors by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 1,488 shares of the company’s stock valued at $503,000 after buying an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vident Advisory LLC grew its position in Lithia Motors by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 842 shares of the company’s stock valued at $285,000 after buying an additional 37 shares in the last quarter.

More Lithia Motors News

Here are the key news stories impacting Lithia Motors this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple near‑ and medium‑term EPS estimates (Q4 2025, Q4 2026, Q1–Q4 2026/2027 and FY2026–FY2027), including boosting FY2027 to $43.72, signaling stronger expected profitability ahead. Zacks Research estimate upgrades
• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark and Evercore ISI reiterated Buy ratings with high price targets ($400 and $500 respectively), reinforcing institutional buy-side support and setting higher upside anchors for the stock. Here’s What Wall Street Thinks About Lithia Motors (InsiderMonkey)
• Positive Sentiment: A Wells Fargo analyst publicly said Lithia’s stock is expected to rise, adding another external bullish voice that can support demand if investors follow. Lithia Motors Stock Price Expected to Rise (AmericanBankingNews)
• Neutral Sentiment: The Zacks upgrades are broad (many quarters and years) and may already be partly priced in; rising estimates reduce execution risk but don’t guarantee immediate share gains.
• Negative Sentiment: Shares fell today despite the analyst bullishness — trading volume was slightly below average and the stock sits well below its 12‑month high, suggesting profit‑taking or macro/sector headwinds (auto cycle concerns or broader market weakness) are weighing on the name.
• Negative Sentiment: Company fundamentals to monitor: Lithia carries leverage (debt/equity ~1.35) and thin quick ratio, which can amplify investor caution if credit conditions or used/new vehicle demand soften.

About Lithia Motors

Lithia Motors, Inc is an American automotive retailer headquartered in Medford, Oregon. Founded in 1946 as a small auto body and glass shop, the company has grown through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to become one of the largest automotive retail networks in North America. Lithia operates dealerships across the United States and Canada, offering a broad portfolio of new and pre-owned vehicles from more than 40 different manufacturers.

The company’s core business activities include vehicle sales, financing, insurance, parts and service.