Madison Asset Management LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Madison Asset Management LLC grew its position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 9.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 280,456 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 25,331 shares during the period. Madison Asset Management LLC owned about 1.08% of Lithia Motors worth $82,325,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Oak Thistle LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the first quarter valued at about $919,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 26.9% in the first quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 2,399 shares of the company's stock valued at $704,000 after purchasing an additional 509 shares during the period. OneAscent Financial Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 47.1% in the first quarter. OneAscent Financial Services LLC now owns 1,442 shares of the company's stock valued at $426,000 after purchasing an additional 462 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the first quarter valued at about $226,000. Finally, Forum Financial Management LP lifted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 22.2% in the first quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 689 shares of the company's stock valued at $202,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 337 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.94, for a total value 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. The trade was a 17.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.87% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $340.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $345.00 to $335.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $415.00 to $375.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $305.00 to $364.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Finally, Guggenheim reduced their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $417.00 to $356.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $382.50.

Lithia Motors Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:LAD traded up $2.55 during trading on Friday, reaching $312.33. The stock had a trading volume of 175,591 shares, compared to its average volume of 265,747. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $327.53 and a 200-day moving average price of $325.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The stock has a market cap of $8.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.84, a PEG ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.46. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $255.32 and a fifty-two week high of $405.67.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $7.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $7.77 by ($0.11). Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.30% and a return on equity of 12.74%. The company had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.19 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $6.11 earnings per share. Lithia Motors's revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Company 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.