Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Reaches New 52-Week High - Time to Buy?

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $377.50 and last traded at $377.44, with a volume of 11160 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $371.36.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Lithia Motors from $299.00 to $343.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Guggenheim boosted their price target on Lithia Motors from $350.00 to $380.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Stephens upped their price target on Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Bank of America upped their price target on Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on Lithia Motors from $280.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, September 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $353.80.

Lithia Motors Stock Up 3.1 %

The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $312.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $282.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. The company has a market cap of $10.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.07 and a beta of 1.63.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $8.21 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.60 by $0.61. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 12.95% and a net margin of 2.31%. The company had revenue of $9.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.46 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $9.25 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 29.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.55%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. Lithia Motors's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.24%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.86, for a total transaction of $3,472,286.68. Following the transaction, the director now owns 46,129 shares of the company's stock, valued at $13,417,080.94. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, COO Chris Holzshu sold 8,520 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $335.21, for a total value of $2,855,989.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 32,054 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,744,821.34. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.86, for a total transaction of $3,472,286.68. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 46,129 shares in the company, valued at $13,417,080.94. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 31,235 shares of company stock valued at $9,301,973 over the last 90 days. 1.79% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 3,862 shares of the company's stock valued at $975,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 23.9% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 249 shares of the company's stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 12.8% in the second quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 459 shares of the company's stock valued at $116,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. Versor Investments LP increased its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 7.0% in the third quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 856 shares of the company's stock worth $272,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 83.6% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 134 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period.

About Lithia Motors

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.