Schroder Investment Management Group Sells 5,442 Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Schroder Investment Management Group decreased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 5.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 90,961 shares of the company's stock after selling 5,442 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group owned 0.34% of Lithia Motors worth $32,479,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of LAD. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors during the fourth quarter worth approximately $152,752,000. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 18.0% during the 4th quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 362,022 shares of the company's stock worth $129,398,000 after purchasing an additional 55,142 shares during the last quarter. Egerton Capital UK LLP bought a new stake in Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter valued at $113,250,000. Tensile Capital Management LP grew its holdings in Lithia Motors by 2.4% in 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. increased its position in Lithia Motors by 17.0% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 259,916 shares of the company's stock worth $82,560,000 after buying an additional 37,677 shares during the period.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In other Lithia Motors news, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 325 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $387.86, for a total value of $126,054.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,665 shares in the company, valued at approximately $645,786.90. This represents a 16.33 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 248 shares of Lithia Motors 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 transaction, the director now owns 1,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $377,219.48. This trade represents a 16.05 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 1,246 shares of company stock worth $433,724. 0.87% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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Lithia Motors Price Performance

Shares of LAD stock traded down $1.01 on Friday, reaching $281.31. The company had a trading volume of 583,799 shares, compared to its average volume of 307,866. The business's 50-day moving average is $334.52 and its 200 day moving average is $343.74. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a one year low of $243.00 and a one year high of $405.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.39 billion, a PE ratio of 9.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.61.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last issued 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%. Equities research analysts forecast that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th were issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 7th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.75%. Lithia Motors's payout ratio is presently 7.14%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LAD has been the topic of a number of recent research 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 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 stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. StockNews.com upgraded Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Benchmark restated a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their target price on Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock 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.