Insider Selling: Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Director Sells 270 Shares of Stock

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 270 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $298.80, for a total value of $80,676.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,213 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $362,444.40. This trade represents a 18.21 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

LAD stock traded down $4.74 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $298.08. 214,252 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 294,089. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.69. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $348.41 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $341.82. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a one year low of $243.00 and a one year high of $405.68. 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 (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $7.79 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $7.33 by $0.46. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.21% and a return on equity of 12.43%. Equities research analysts forecast that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current year.

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Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.71%. Lithia Motors's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.14%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LAD has been the topic of several recent research reports. Benchmark reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $400.00 price target on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. StockNews.com upgraded Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Guggenheim increased their price target on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Lithia Motors from $346.00 to $397.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $371.36.

Institutional Trading of Lithia Motors

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors during the fourth quarter worth $34,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in Lithia Motors by 69.9% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company's stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its stake in Lithia Motors by 33.9% during the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 146 shares of the company's stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 1,420.0% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 152 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period.

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.