Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Stock Holdings Trimmed by Geode Capital Management LLC

Geode Capital Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 1.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 440,297 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,351 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned 1.65% of Lithia Motors worth $157,426,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in LAD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 17.0% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 259,916 shares of the company's stock valued at $82,560,000 after purchasing an additional 37,677 shares during the period. Madison Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter valued at about $91,190,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 1.0% during the 4th 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 lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 497.7% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 3,676 shares of the company's stock worth $1,314,000 after acquiring an additional 3,061 shares during the period. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 1,073.7% in the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,770 shares of the company's stock worth $990,000 after acquiring an additional 2,534 shares during the last quarter.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 270 shares of the business'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 transaction of $80,676.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,213 shares in the company, valued at $362,444.40. The trade was a 18.21 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, COO Adam Chamberlain sold 403 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $384.28, for a total value of $154,864.84. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 2,605 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,001,049.40. The trade was a 13.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 1,246 shares of company stock worth $433,724 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.87% of the company's stock.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 0.6 %

NYSE LAD traded down $1.70 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $290.81. 514,559 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 311,745. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.64 billion, a PE ratio of 9.80, a PEG ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.00 and a 12 month high of $405.68. The company has a 50 day moving average of $322.99 and a two-hundred day moving average of $342.28.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $7.79 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $7.33 by $0.46. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 12.43% and a net margin of 2.21%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th were issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.73%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 7th. Lithia Motors's dividend payout ratio is presently 7.14%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $420.00 to $360.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $346.00 to $397.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Benchmark reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $400.00 price target on shares of Lithia Motors in a report on Thursday, February 20th. StockNews.com raised Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their target price on Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lithia Motors 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.