SG Americas Securities LLC Cuts Holdings in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

SG Americas Securities LLC cut its stake in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 63.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,026 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,798 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC's holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $367,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in LAD. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Lithia Motors by 25.4% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,565 shares of the company's stock worth $645,000 after acquiring an additional 520 shares in the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp purchased a new stake in Lithia Motors during the second quarter worth about $211,000. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 1.3% during the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 3,862 shares of the company's stock worth $975,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 31.8% in the third quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 7,458 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,369,000 after purchasing an additional 1,800 shares during the period. Finally, Sendero Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 20.7% in the third quarter. Sendero Wealth Management LLC now owns 13,034 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,140,000 after purchasing an additional 2,233 shares in the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 2.0 %

LAD stock traded down $7.80 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $374.09. 257,373 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 402,683. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $364.07 and its 200 day simple moving average is $329.88. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.00 and a 1-year high of $405.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 1.18. The company has a market cap of $9.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 1.67.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LAD has been the subject of several recent research reports. 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 research report on Friday, January 17th. StockNews.com upgraded Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Benchmark started coverage on Lithia Motors in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a "buy" rating and a $400.00 price target on the stock. 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, Stephens boosted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $357.40.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 242 shares of the firm'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 transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,729 shares in the company, valued at approximately $661,964.94. This trade represents a 12.28 % 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, CEO Bryan B. Deboer sold 3,313 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $380.00, for a total transaction of $1,258,940.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 192,814 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $73,269,320. This trade represents a 1.69 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 38,770 shares of company stock worth $15,103,607 in the last ninety days. 1.79% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.