Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Stock Position Trimmed by Tensile Capital Management LP

Tensile Capital Management LP decreased its position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 9.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 235,527 shares of the company's stock after selling 26,000 shares during the period. Lithia Motors comprises approximately 8.7% of Tensile Capital Management LP's holdings, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Tensile Capital Management LP owned 0.88% of Lithia Motors worth $84,184,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of LAD. Madison Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter valued at $91,190,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 208,253 shares of the company's stock valued at $74,436,000 after purchasing an additional 2,108 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 497.7% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 3,676 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,314,000 after buying an additional 3,061 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Lithia Motors by 1,073.7% during the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,770 shares of the company's stock worth $990,000 after purchasing an additional 2,534 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on LAD. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $415.00 to $375.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Benchmark reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $400.00 target price on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Lithia Motors from $420.00 to $360.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $397.00 to $308.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $361.20.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

Shares of LAD traded up $1.37 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $308.95. 53,826 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 315,867. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.04 and a fifty-two week high of $405.68. The firm's fifty day moving average is $298.82 and its 200 day moving average is $338.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The company has a market cap of $8.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.41, a P/E/G ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.48.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $7.66 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $7.77 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.19 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.21% and a return on equity of 12.43%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $6.11 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.55 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 9th. This is an increase from Lithia Motors's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.71%. Lithia Motors's dividend payout ratio is 6.93%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In other news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 248 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.84, for a total value of $72,128.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,297 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $377,219.48. This trade represents a 16.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 270 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $298.80, for a total value of $80,676.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,213 shares in the company, valued at approximately $362,444.40. This trade represents a 18.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 855 shares of company stock worth $252,536. 0.87% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.