Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Shares Sold by Swiss National Bank

Swiss National Bank lessened its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 1.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 52,600 shares of the company's stock after selling 900 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank owned approximately 0.20% of Lithia Motors worth $18,801,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Lithia Motors during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 69.9% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its position in Lithia Motors by 33.9% during the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 146 shares of the company's stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the period. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its position in Lithia Motors by 1,420.0% during the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 152 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Lithia Motors by 30.5% during the fourth 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 period.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LAD traded up $1.43 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $306.45. The company's stock had a trading volume of 295,508 shares, compared to its average volume of 295,004. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $345.07 and its 200 day simple moving average is $341.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 1.19. The company has a market cap of $8.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.69. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.00 and a 12-month high of $405.68.

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Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $7.79 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.33 by $0.46. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.21% and a return on equity of 12.43%. On average, analysts forecast that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 7th were paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 7th. Lithia Motors's dividend payout ratio is currently 7.14%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on LAD. Benchmark restated a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 price target on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $346.00 to $397.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $371.36.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In other Lithia Motors news, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 270 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $298.80, for a total value of $80,676.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,213 shares in the company, valued at $362,444.40. The trade was a 18.21 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 248 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.84, for a total transaction of $72,128.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,297 shares in the company, valued at $377,219.48. The trade was a 16.05 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 1,246 shares of company stock valued at $433,724. Corporate insiders own 0.87% of the company's stock.

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.