Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Shares Sold by River Road Asset Management LLC

River Road Asset Management LLC trimmed its position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 10.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 326,606 shares of the company's stock after selling 38,578 shares during the period. Lithia Motors accounts for 1.6% of River Road Asset Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest position. River Road Asset Management LLC owned approximately 1.23% of Lithia Motors worth $116,739,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Lithia Motors during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 69.9% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 33.9% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 146 shares of the company's stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 30.5% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 167 shares of the company's stock worth $60,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in Lithia Motors by 48.5% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 297 shares of the company's stock valued at $106,000 after buying an additional 97 shares in the last quarter.

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Insider Activity

In related news, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 270 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $298.80, for a total transaction of $80,676.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 1,213 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $362,444.40. This represents a 18.21 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, COO Adam Chamberlain sold 403 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction that occurred 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 in the company, valued at approximately $1,001,049.40. The trade was a 13.40 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 1,246 shares of company stock valued at $433,724 in the last quarter. 1.79% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Lithia Motors Stock Up 3.4 %

Shares of LAD stock traded up $9.80 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $295.39. 517,469 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 294,547. The stock's fifty day moving average is $350.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $341.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.28. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.00 and a 52-week high of $405.68. The stock has a market cap of $7.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.95, a P/E/G ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.69.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $7.79 earnings per share (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 analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.72%. Lithia Motors's payout ratio is currently 7.14%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective 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 issued a $400.00 price target on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Finally, Guggenheim upped their price target on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $371.36.

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.