Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Reaches New 1-Year High - What's Next?

Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $344.80 and last traded at $344.80, with a volume of 105 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $341.12.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on LAD shares. StockNews.com raised Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Lithia Motors from $299.00 to $343.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Guggenheim lifted their target price on Lithia Motors from $350.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Citigroup upped their price target 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. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $350.80.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a current ratio of 1.19. The company has a market cap of $9.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.60 and a beta of 1.64. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $302.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $276.25.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $8.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.60 by $0.61. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 13.84% and a net margin of 2.52%. The firm had revenue of $9.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.46 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $9.25 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 28.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Shareholders 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 yield of 0.62%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. Lithia Motors's payout ratio is 7.24%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at $13,417,080.94. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other news, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the director now directly owns 46,129 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,417,080.94. The trade was a 0.00 % 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, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 10,777 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.93, for a total transaction of $2,973,697.61. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 35,352 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,754,677.36. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 31,541 shares of company stock worth $9,390,606. Corporate insiders own 1.79% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 14.7% in the 2nd quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 1,700,893 shares of the company's stock valued at $429,390,000 after purchasing an additional 217,867 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew 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 worth $256,621,000 after acquiring an additional 203,543 shares during the period. Bridges Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 118.9% in the 2nd quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 160,860 shares of the company's stock worth $40,609,000 after acquiring an additional 87,362 shares in the last quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 27.5% in the 3rd quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 365,184 shares of the company's stock valued at $115,997,000 after purchasing an additional 78,784 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 7.2% during the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 727,849 shares of the company's stock valued at $218,981,000 after purchasing an additional 48,938 shares in the last quarter.

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.