Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Reaches New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LAD has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Lithia Motors from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $225.00 to $310.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. StockNews.com upgraded Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Lithia Motors from $299.00 to $343.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $350.80.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

The business’s fifty day moving average is $303.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $276.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.88 billion, a PE ratio of 11.34 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $8.21 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.60 by $0.61. The business had revenue of $9.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.46 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 12.95%. The business’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $9.25 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 28.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.64%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.24%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of the business’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 transaction, the director now owns 46,129 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,417,080.94. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The shares were 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 directly owns 46,129 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,417,080.94. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, COO Chris Holzshu sold 8,520 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $335.21, for a total transaction of $2,855,989.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 32,054 shares in the company, valued at $10,744,821.34. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 31,235 shares of company stock valued at $9,301,973 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 1.3% in the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 3,862 shares of the company’s stock worth $975,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in Lithia Motors by 23.9% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 249 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 12.8% in the 2nd quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 459 shares of the company’s stock worth $116,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 83.6% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 134 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 13.3% during the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 554 shares of the company’s stock valued at $167,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter.

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.