Lithia Motors, Inc. $LAD Shares Acquired by Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC

Key Points

• Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC dramatically increased its stake in Lithia Motors by acquiring over 2 million additional shares, now holding about 7.79% of the company, which comprises 47% of its investment portfolio.
• Lithia Motors recently announced a share repurchase plan worth $750 million and paid a quarterly dividend of $0.55, representing a 0.6% yield.
• The company's latest earnings report showed a profit of $10.24 earnings per share, exceeding expectations, with revenue of $9.58 billion, indicating strong financial performance.

Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC grew its stake in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 10,136,710.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,027,362 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,027,342 shares during the quarter. Lithia Motors comprises approximately 47.0% of Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its biggest position. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC owned about 7.79% of Lithia Motors worth $595,112,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of LAD. Steadfast Capital Management LP increased its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 137.8% during the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Park West Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Lithia Motors in the 1st quarter valued at about $58,825,000. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 1,840.6% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 181,777 shares of the company's stock valued at $53,359,000 after buying an additional 172,410 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the 1st quarter valued at about $36,762,000. Finally, Nuveen LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the 1st quarter valued at about $32,824,000.

Lithia Motors Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:LAD opened at $341.10 on Monday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $320.73 and its 200-day simple moving average is $313.55. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 52-week low of $255.32 and a 52-week high of $405.67. The company has a market capitalization of $8.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.11, a P/E/G ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $9.78 by $0.46. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 13.21% and a net margin of 2.39%.The firm had revenue of $9.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.56 billion. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, August 26th that authorizes the company to repurchase $750.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

In other news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 256 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $293.05, for a total value of $75,020.80. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 1,376 shares in the company, valued at $403,236.80. This trade represents a 15.69% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.87% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on LAD shares. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $378.00 to $383.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday. They set a "buy" rating and a $400.00 target price for the company. Guggenheim decreased their target price on Lithia Motors from $383.00 to $380.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Lithia Motors in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $340.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Lithia Motors from $364.00 to $317.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target 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.

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