Zacks Research Forecasts Weaker Earnings for Lithia Motors

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) - Zacks Research reduced their Q2 2025 earnings per share estimates for Lithia Motors in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, January 29th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now expects that the company will earn $9.11 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $9.17. The consensus estimate for Lithia Motors' current full-year earnings is $29.26 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Lithia Motors' Q1 2026 earnings at $9.21 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $9.23 EPS and Q3 2026 earnings at $10.00 EPS.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $343.00 to $346.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $405.00 to $400.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 17th. StockNews.com raised shares of Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Guggenheim boosted their price target on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Benchmark initiated coverage on Lithia Motors in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $400.00 price objective for the company. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $357.40.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

LAD traded up $3.99 during trading on Friday, hitting $370.44. The stock had a trading volume of 217,601 shares, compared to its average volume of 418,734. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.27. The firm has a market cap of $9.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.64, a P/E/G ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $364.65 and a 200-day moving average price of $328.32. Lithia Motors has a one year low of $243.00 and a one year high of $405.67.

Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

In related news, CEO Bryan B. Deboer sold 15,846 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $386.72, for a total value of $6,127,965.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 207,924 shares of the company's stock, valued at $80,408,369.28. This represents a 7.08 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Tina Miller sold 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $392.72, for a total transaction of $392,720.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,403 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,085,466.16. The trade was a 8.77 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 38,770 shares of company stock valued at $15,103,607 over the last ninety days. 1.79% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. FMR LLC raised its holdings in Lithia Motors by 12.8% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 753,067 shares of the company's stock valued at $239,204,000 after buying an additional 85,579 shares during the last quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC increased its position in 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 acquiring an additional 78,784 shares during the period. Tensile Capital Management LP raised its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 2.4% during the third quarter. Tensile Capital Management LP now owns 261,527 shares of the company's stock valued at $83,071,000 after acquiring an additional 6,252 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 17.0% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 259,916 shares of the company's stock worth $82,560,000 after purchasing an additional 37,677 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 237,714 shares of the company's stock worth $84,966,000 after purchasing an additional 3,558 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.