5,600 Shares in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Acquired by KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 5,600 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,002,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. FMR LLC increased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 12.8% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 753,067 shares of the company's stock worth $239,204,000 after purchasing an additional 85,579 shares in the last quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. increased its position in Lithia Motors by 18.0% in the fourth quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 362,022 shares of the company's stock worth $129,398,000 after buying an additional 55,142 shares in the last quarter. Egerton Capital UK LLP bought a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter worth about $113,250,000. Tensile Capital Management LP lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. Tensile Capital Management LP now owns 261,527 shares of the company's stock valued at $83,071,000 after buying an additional 6,252 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 17.0% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 259,916 shares of the company's stock valued at $82,560,000 after acquiring an additional 37,677 shares during the period.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

Shares of LAD traded up $2.50 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $296.04. 379,722 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 305,271. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $337.86 and a two-hundred day moving average of $343.60. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.00 and a 52-week high of $405.68. 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 company has a market cap of $7.78 billion, a PE ratio of 9.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.69.

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Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $7.79 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.33 by $0.46. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.21% and a return on equity of 12.43%. On average, equities analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 7th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.72%. Lithia Motors's payout ratio is currently 7.14%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 248 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.84, for a total transaction of $72,128.32. Following the sale, the director now owns 1,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $377,219.48. This represents a 16.05 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 270 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $298.80, for a total transaction of $80,676.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,213 shares of the company's stock, valued at $362,444.40. The trade was a 18.21 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 1,246 shares of company stock worth $433,724 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.87% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LAD has been the topic of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $420.00 to $360.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Benchmark restated a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 target price on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. StockNews.com raised Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Lithia Motors from $346.00 to $397.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lithia Motors presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $365.91.

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.