Nisa Investment Advisors LLC Purchases 2,534 Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 1,073.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,770 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,534 shares during the quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC's holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $990,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased 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 valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 30.5% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 167 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 49.3% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 200 shares of the company's stock worth $64,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in Lithia Motors by 23.9% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 249 shares of the company's stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on LAD shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Stephens raised their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Lithia Motors from $405.00 to $400.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 17th. Benchmark assumed coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a "buy" rating and a $400.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $343.00 to $346.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $357.40.

Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

In other Lithia Motors news, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 242 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $382.86, for a total transaction of $92,652.12. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 1,729 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $661,964.94. The trade was a 12.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Bryan B. Deboer sold 3,313 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $380.00, for a total value of $1,258,940.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 192,814 shares in the company, valued at $73,269,320. This trade represents a 1.69 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 38,770 shares of company stock valued at $15,103,607 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.79% of the company's stock.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 0.9 %

NYSE LAD traded down $3.42 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $378.03. 126,362 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 431,111. The firm has a market cap of $10.07 billion, a PE ratio of 12.94, a PEG ratio of 4.77 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.27. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.00 and a 52-week high of $405.67. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $365.50 and a 200 day simple moving average of $326.05.

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.