Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Sets New 12-Month High - What's Next?

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $332.32 and last traded at $328.45, with a volume of 84443 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $304.54.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on LAD shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Lithia Motors from $302.00 to $299.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Stephens initiated coverage on Lithia Motors in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $360.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $280.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, September 27th. StockNews.com cut shares of Lithia Motors from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $315.00 to $375.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $337.70.

Lithia Motors Stock Up 10.1 %

The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $297.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $273.97. The firm has a market cap of $9.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.30.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $7.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.09 by $0.78. The company had revenue of $9.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.29 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.52% and a return on equity of 13.84%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $10.91 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 28.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 9th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.63%. Lithia Motors's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.26%.

Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

In other Lithia Motors news, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of the company's 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 completion of 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.86, for a total value of $3,472,286.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 46,129 shares in the company, valued at $13,417,080.94. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 10,777 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.93, for a total value of $2,973,697.61. Following the sale, the director now owns 35,352 shares in the company, valued at $9,754,677.36. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 23,021 shares of company stock valued at $6,534,617. 1.79% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 14.7% in the second quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 1,700,893 shares of the company's stock valued at $429,390,000 after buying an additional 217,867 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 25.0% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,016,520 shares of the company's stock valued at $256,621,000 after purchasing an additional 203,543 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its position in Lithia Motors by 7.2% during the first quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 727,849 shares of the company's stock worth $218,981,000 after purchasing an additional 48,938 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 2.1% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 260,470 shares of the company's stock valued at $65,756,000 after purchasing an additional 5,390 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Chicago Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 1.2% in the third quarter. Chicago Capital LLC now owns 217,102 shares of the company's stock valued at $68,960,000 after purchasing an additional 2,666 shares during the period.

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.