Nuveen LLC Purchases Shares of 111,822 Lithia Motors, Inc. $LAD

Key Points

• Nuveen LLC recently acquired 111,822 shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD), valued at approximately $32.8 million, representing 0.43% ownership of the company.
• Recent research reports show mixed ratings for Lithia Motors, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $379; several analysts have adjusted their price targets, both upwards and downwards.
• Lithia Motors announced a quarterly dividend of $0.55 per share, which will be paid to stockholders on August 22, reflecting a 0.7% dividend yield.

Nuveen LLC acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 111,822 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $32,824,000. Nuveen LLC owned about 0.43% of Lithia Motors at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of LAD. Vident Advisory LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 780 shares of the company's stock valued at $279,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 1.5% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 2,421 shares of the company's stock valued at $711,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 700 shares of the company's stock valued at $250,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Mariner LLC grew its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 1,475 shares of the company's stock valued at $527,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC increased its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 30.1% in the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 212 shares of the company's stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

LAD stock traded up $0.0950 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $306.7950. The company had a trading volume of 23,306 shares, compared to its average volume of 337,019. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.11, a P/E/G ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.30. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a one year low of $255.32 and a one year high of $405.67. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $320.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $317.88.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $10.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $9.78 by $0.46. The company had revenue of $9.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.56 billion. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 13.21% and a net margin of 2.39%. Research analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 8th will be given a dividend of $0.55 per share. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 8th. Lithia Motors's payout ratio is 6.52%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on LAD. Guggenheim dropped their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $383.00 to $380.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $378.00 to $383.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $364.00 to $317.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a report on Tuesday, June 3rd. They set a "neutral" rating and a $340.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $430.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 16th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $379.00.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In other Lithia Motors news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 256 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $293.05, for a total transaction of $75,020.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 1,376 shares in the company, valued at approximately $403,236.80. The trade was a 15.69% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.87% of the company's stock.

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.