Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Shares Sold by Fulton Bank N.A.

Fulton Bank N.A. cut its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 4.4% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,296 shares of the company’s stock after selling 200 shares during the period. Fulton Bank N.A.’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $1,085,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter valued at $123,976,000. Cadian Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter valued at $105,370,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 413.6% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 65,142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,450,000 after acquiring an additional 52,458 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board increased its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 7.2% in the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 727,849 shares of the company’s stock valued at $218,981,000 after acquiring an additional 48,938 shares during the period. Finally, Boston Partners increased its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 67.5% in the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 82,915 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,734,000 after acquiring an additional 33,405 shares during the period.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In other news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 306 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $289.65, for a total transaction of $88,632.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 1,922 shares in the company, valued at approximately $556,707.30. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

LAD stock traded up $3.09 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $279.85. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 401,025 shares, compared to its average volume of 251,927. The stock has a market cap of $7.67 billion, a PE ratio of 8.26, a P/E/G ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $231.36 and a fifty-two week high of $331.96. The company’s 50 day moving average is $258.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $273.35.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $7.87 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.09 by $0.78. The company had revenue of $9.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.29 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.52% and a return on equity of 13.81%. Lithia Motors’s quarterly revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $10.91 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 27.62 EPS for the current year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 9th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.76%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio is currently 6.26%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on LAD shares. StockNews.com raised Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $280.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Guggenheim lowered shares of Lithia Motors from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 17th. Finally, Craig Hallum decreased their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $350.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $317.40.

Lithia Motors 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.