Nomura Holdings Inc. Acquires Shares of 3,534 Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Nomura Holdings Inc. bought a new stake in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 3,534 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,263,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 69.9% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company's stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 33.9% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 146 shares of the company's stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its position in Lithia Motors by 1,420.0% during the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 152 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

LAD traded up $1.27 during trading on Thursday, hitting $306.93. The stock had a trading volume of 344,515 shares, compared to its average volume of 316,473. The firm has a market cap of $7.99 billion, a PE ratio of 10.34, a P/E/G ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.48. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.04 and a 12 month high of $405.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $298.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $338.81.

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

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The firm 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 a positive change from Lithia Motors's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.72%. Lithia Motors's payout ratio is 6.93%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on LAD. Guggenheim cut their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $417.00 to $356.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on Lithia Motors from $385.00 to $328.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Benchmark reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $400.00 price target on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $420.00 to $360.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Four research 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, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $361.20.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 270 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the director now 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 337 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 now directly owns 1,632 shares in the company, valued at $482,974.08. This trade represents a 17.12% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 855 shares of company stock valued at $252,536. 0.87% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.