Natixis Advisors LLC Buys 5,203 Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC increased its ownership in Lithia Motors by 5.6%, now holding 98,125 shares worth approximately $28.8 million after purchasing an additional 5,203 shares.
• Lithia Motors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.55, set to be paid on August 22nd, contributing to an annualized dividend yield of 0.8%.
• Recent analysis includes a price target increase from $430.00 to $500.00 by Bank of America along with an overall consensus rating of Moderate Buy for Lithia Motors.

Natixis Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 5.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 98,125 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,203 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.38% of Lithia Motors worth $28,803,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of LAD. Steadfast Capital Management LP increased its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 266,715 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new position in Lithia Motors in the 1st quarter valued at $36,762,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its holdings in Lithia Motors by 1,865.4% in the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 92,293 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,092,000 after buying an additional 87,597 shares in the last quarter. Advent International L.P. grew its holdings in Lithia Motors by 52.9% in the 4th quarter. Advent International L.P. now owns 217,151 shares of the company's stock valued at $77,616,000 after buying an additional 75,151 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Lithia Motors by 44,194.6% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 73,972 shares of the company's stock valued at $21,714,000 after buying an additional 73,805 shares in the last quarter.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 256 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $293.05, for a total transaction of $75,020.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,376 shares in the company, valued at $403,236.80. The trade was a 15.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.87% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 0.1%

LAD traded down $0.24 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $287.76. 523,222 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 336,332. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $325.44 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $322.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.49 billion, a PE ratio of 8.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.30. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 1 year low of $255.32 and a 1 year high of $405.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 1.22.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $10.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.78 by $0.46. The firm had revenue of $9.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.56 billion. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 13.21% and a net margin of 2.39%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th will be given a dividend of $0.55 per share. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 8th. Lithia Motors's payout ratio is presently 6.52%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on LAD shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Lithia Motors from $345.00 to $335.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Lithia Motors in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. They set a "neutral" rating and a $340.00 target price for the company. Guggenheim dropped their price objective on Lithia Motors from $417.00 to $356.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Citigroup upgraded Lithia Motors from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $415.00 to $375.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Lithia Motors from $364.00 to $317.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lithia Motors currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $377.80.

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.