Iridian Asset Management LLC CT Sells 11,792 Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Iridian Asset Management LLC CT decreased its position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 18.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 53,849 shares of the company's stock after selling 11,792 shares during the quarter. Lithia Motors comprises approximately 5.1% of Iridian Asset Management LLC CT's holdings, making the stock its 6th largest position. Iridian Asset Management LLC CT owned approximately 0.20% of Lithia Motors worth $19,247,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 69.9% in 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 during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 30.5% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 167 shares of the company's stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 49.3% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 200 shares of the company's stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. Finally, Signaturefd LLC lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 23.9% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 249 shares of the company's stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 242 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $382.86, for a total transaction of $92,652.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 1,729 shares in the company, valued at approximately $661,964.94. The trade was a 12.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Bryan B. Deboer sold 6,742 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $400.00, for a total transaction of $2,696,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 174,445 shares of the company's stock, valued at $69,778,000. This trade represents a 3.72 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 22,924 shares of company stock worth $8,975,642 over the last three months. 1.79% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LAD traded down $1.76 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $367.71. The stock had a trading volume of 292,790 shares, compared to its average volume of 391,103. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.80 billion, a PE ratio of 12.54, a P/E/G ratio of 4.90 and a beta of 1.67. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.00 and a 52 week high of $405.67. The business's 50-day moving average price is $363.45 and its 200 day moving average price is $332.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.27.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on LAD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $405.00 to $400.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Stephens lifted their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Benchmark assumed coverage on Lithia Motors in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $400.00 target price on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com raised Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $357.40.

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.