Redwood Investment Management LLC Takes Position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Redwood Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 4,005 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,432,000.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LAD. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in Lithia Motors by 69.9% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company's stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its stake in Lithia Motors by 33.9% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 146 shares of the company's stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 1,420.0% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 152 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Trading Down 3.6%

LAD stock traded down $11.58 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $307.37. 147,907 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 314,866. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a one year low of $243.04 and a one year high of $405.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.00 billion, a PE ratio of 10.37, a PEG ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.48. 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 business has a 50-day moving average price of $298.54 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $339.04.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $7.66 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.77 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.19 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.21% and a return on equity of 12.43%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $6.11 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, May 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.55 per share. This is a positive change from Lithia Motors's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 9th. Lithia Motors's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.93%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on LAD shares. Guggenheim decreased their target price on Lithia Motors from $417.00 to $356.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Lithia Motors from $420.00 to $360.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Benchmark restated a "buy" rating and issued a $400.00 price target on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $415.00 to $375.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $361.20.

Insider Activity 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 completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 1,213 shares of the company's stock, valued at $362,444.40. The trade was a 18.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 337 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.94, for a total transaction of $99,731.78. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,632 shares in the company, valued at approximately $482,974.08. This trade represents a 17.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 855 shares of company stock worth $252,536 in the last quarter. 0.87% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.