GSA Capital Partners LLP Takes Position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new position in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 4,907 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,440,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,194,539 shares of the company's stock worth $426,968,000 after buying an additional 27,035 shares during the last quarter. Lyrical Asset Management LP lifted its stake in Lithia Motors by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Lyrical Asset Management LP now owns 510,388 shares of the company's stock valued at $182,428,000 after buying an additional 11,674 shares in the last quarter. Steadfast Capital Management LP lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 137.8% in the fourth quarter. Steadfast Capital Management LP now owns 460,298 shares of the company's stock worth $164,524,000 after purchasing an additional 266,715 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Lithia Motors during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $152,752,000. Finally, Madison Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Lithia Motors by 9.9% during the first quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC now owns 280,456 shares of the company's stock worth $82,325,000 after buying an additional 25,331 shares in the last quarter.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Citigroup upgraded Lithia Motors from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $415.00 to $375.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Lithia Motors in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $340.00 target price for the company. Guggenheim reduced their price objective on Lithia Motors from $417.00 to $356.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Lithia Motors from $364.00 to $317.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on Lithia Motors from $430.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 16th. Four equities research 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 company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $377.80.

Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 337 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.94, for a total transaction of $99,731.78. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 1,632 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $482,974.08. This represents a 17.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.87% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

LAD traded down $3.23 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $286.54. The company's stock had a trading volume of 653,041 shares, compared to its average volume of 301,419. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $326.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $324.30. The company has a market cap of $7.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.50, a PEG ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.22 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $10.24 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $9.78 by $0.46. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.39% and a return on equity of 13.21%. The company had revenue of $9.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.56 billion. As a group, analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.55 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 8th. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.77%. Lithia Motors's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.93%.

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.