Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Shares Sold by Exchange Traded Concepts LLC

Exchange Traded Concepts LLC cut its position in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 24.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,065 shares of the company's stock after selling 986 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC's holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $1,096,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in Lithia Motors by 69.9% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company's stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in Lithia Motors by 30.5% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 167 shares of the company's stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in Lithia Motors by 49.3% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 200 shares of the company's stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. Finally, Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 23.9% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 249 shares of the company's stock valued at $79,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the last quarter.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Tina Miller sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $392.72, for a total value of $392,720.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,403 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,085,466.16. This represents a 8.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 242 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $382.86, for a total value of $92,652.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 1,729 shares of the company's stock, valued at $661,964.94. The trade was a 12.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 38,770 shares of company stock worth $15,103,607 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.79% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on LAD. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $343.00 to $346.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Stephens lifted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Benchmark began coverage on Lithia Motors in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a "buy" rating and a $400.00 price objective for the company. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, StockNews.com raised Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $357.40.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

Shares of Lithia Motors stock traded down $5.26 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $376.19. 247,400 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 438,179. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. The business has a 50-day moving average of $365.50 and a 200 day moving average of $326.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.02 billion, a PE ratio of 12.84, a PEG ratio of 4.77 and a beta of 1.67. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.00 and a fifty-two week high of $405.67.

About Lithia Motors

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.