Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Shares Bought by Inspire Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Inspire Advisors LLC significantly increased its stake in Lithia Motors, raising it by 302.7% to a total of 2,843 shares valued at $835,000 by the end of the first quarter.
• Several analysts have provided mixed reviews on Lithia Motors, with price targets ranging from $335 to $500, and a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy".
• Insider transactions included Director Shauna Mcintyre selling 337 shares at an average price of $295.94, which reduced her ownership by 17.12%.

Inspire Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 302.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,843 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,137 shares during the period. Inspire Advisors LLC's holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $835,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,194,539 shares of the company's stock valued at $426,968,000 after acquiring an additional 27,035 shares in the last quarter. Lyrical Asset Management LP grew its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Lyrical Asset Management LP now owns 510,388 shares of the company's stock worth $182,428,000 after buying an additional 11,674 shares during the last quarter. Steadfast Capital Management LP lifted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 137.8% in the 4th quarter. Steadfast Capital Management LP now owns 460,298 shares of the company's stock valued at $164,524,000 after acquiring an additional 266,715 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter valued at $152,752,000. Finally, Madison Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 9.9% during the 1st quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC now owns 280,456 shares of the company's stock valued at $82,325,000 after acquiring an additional 25,331 shares in the last quarter.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 337 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction that occurred 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 in the company, valued at approximately $482,974.08. This trade represents a 17.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.87% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $345.00 to $335.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Lithia Motors from $305.00 to $364.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. Guggenheim decreased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $417.00 to $356.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $430.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $340.00 price objective on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $382.50.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

NYSE:LAD traded down $16.79 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $290.28. 969,782 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 338,344. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 52-week low of $255.32 and a 52-week high of $405.67. The company's 50 day moving average price is $327.23 and its 200-day moving average price is $324.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.15, a PEG ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.46.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $10.24 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.53 by $1.71. The business had revenue of $9.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.56 billion. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 12.74% and a net margin of 2.30%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th will be paid a $0.55 dividend. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.76%. 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.