Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Receives $357.40 Average PT from Analysts

Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the ten ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $357.40.

Several research firms recently issued reports on LAD. Benchmark initiated coverage on Lithia Motors in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $400.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Lithia Motors from $343.00 to $346.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. Guggenheim upped their target price on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Stephens lifted their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th.

Insider Activity

In other Lithia Motors news, CFO Tina Miller sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $392.72, for a total value of $392,720.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,403 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,085,466.16. This trade represents a 8.77 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Bryan B. Deboer sold 3,313 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $380.00, for a total value of $1,258,940.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 192,814 shares in the company, valued at approximately $73,269,320. The trade was a 1.69 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 38,770 shares of company stock worth $15,103,607 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Versor Investments LP lifted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 7.0% in the 3rd quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 856 shares of the company’s stock valued at $272,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position 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 buying an additional 37,677 shares in the last quarter. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $731,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Lithia Motors in the third quarter valued at $248,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 95,899 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,585,000 after acquiring an additional 2,261 shares in the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Trading Up 2.5 %

Shares of Lithia Motors stock opened at $381.20 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $365.50 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $326.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.01, a PEG ratio of 4.83 and a beta of 1.67. Lithia Motors has a 12-month low of $243.00 and a 12-month high of $405.67. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23.

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.