1,700 Shares in Lithia Motors, Inc. $LAD Acquired by Caption Management LLC

Key Points

• Caption Management LLC has acquired 1,700 shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. for approximately $499,000, marking a new investment position for the firm.
• Several institutional investors, including Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC and Invesco Ltd., have increased their stakes in Lithia Motors, indicating growing investor confidence.
• Lithia Motors recently reported an EPS of $10.24 for the last quarter, surpassing analysts' estimates and reflecting a robust financial performance.

Caption Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 1,700 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $499,000.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. NBC Securities Inc. purchased a new position in Lithia Motors in the first quarter valued at $59,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 63.7% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 203 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the period. CWM LLC grew its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 30.1% during the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 212 shares of the company's stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 50.9% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 252 shares of the company's stock worth $74,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors in the first quarter valued at approximately $136,000.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:LAD traded up $1.01 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $341.10. The stock had a trading volume of 187,013 shares, compared to its average volume of 285,101. The company has a market capitalization of $8.75 billion, a PE ratio of 10.11, a P/E/G ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.31. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $320.73 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $313.55. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 1 year low of $255.32 and a 1 year high of $405.67.

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

Lithia Motors announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, August 26th that authorizes the company to buyback $750.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th were paid a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 8th. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Lithia Motors's payout ratio is 6.52%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 256 shares of the company'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 transaction, the director owned 1,376 shares of the company's stock, valued at $403,236.80. This represents a 15.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.87% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Bank of America boosted their price target 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $335.00 to $315.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered 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 report on Wednesday, July 30th. Guggenheim cut their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $383.00 to $380.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $378.00 to $383.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $380.91.

Lithia Motors 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.