Boothbay Fund Management LLC Sells 4,872 Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Boothbay Fund Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 31.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 10,806 shares of the company's stock after selling 4,872 shares during the period. Boothbay Fund Management LLC's holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $3,862,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of LAD. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter worth $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in Lithia Motors by 69.9% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company's stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its holdings in Lithia Motors by 33.9% during the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 146 shares of the company's stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 1,420.0% in the 4th 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.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Citigroup raised Lithia Motors from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and decreased their target price for the company from $415.00 to $375.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Guggenheim dropped their price target 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. StockNews.com raised Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Lithia Motors from $397.00 to $308.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on Lithia Motors from $385.00 to $328.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $361.20.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In other news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 248 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.84, for a total value of $72,128.32. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $377,219.48. The trade was a 16.05 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Adam Chamberlain sold 403 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $384.28, for a total transaction of $154,864.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 2,605 shares in the company, valued at $1,001,049.40. This trade represents a 13.40 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 1,246 shares of company stock valued at $433,724 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.87% of the company's stock.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE LAD traded up $0.62 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $293.02. 489,579 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 314,991. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.04 and a 12 month high of $405.68. The company's 50 day moving average price is $301.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $340.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.70 billion, a PE ratio of 9.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.61.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last issued its 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). Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 12.43% and a net margin of 2.21%. The business had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.19 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $6.11 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be issued a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. This is a boost from Lithia Motors's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.75%. Lithia Motors's payout ratio is currently 6.93%.

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.