3,131 Shares in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Acquired by Oak Thistle LLC

Oak Thistle LLC purchased a new position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 3,131 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $919,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Lithia Motors during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $152,752,000. Steadfast Capital Management LP lifted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 137.8% in 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 period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new stake in Lithia Motors in the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,762,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased 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 worth $27,092,000 after acquiring an additional 87,597 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advent International L.P. increased 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 worth $77,616,000 after acquiring an additional 75,151 shares in the last quarter.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on LAD. Citigroup raised shares of Lithia Motors from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and cut their price objective for the company from $415.00 to $375.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $305.00 to $364.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a report on Tuesday, June 3rd. They set a "neutral" rating and a $340.00 price objective for the company. Guggenheim cut their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $417.00 to $356.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $430.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 16th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $382.50.

Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 337 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.94, for a total value of $99,731.78. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 1,632 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $482,974.08. This trade represents a 17.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.87% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Lithia Motors Stock Up 0.8%

LAD traded up $2.55 on Friday, hitting $312.33. The company had a trading volume of 175,591 shares, compared to its average volume of 265,747. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 1.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.84, a P/E/G ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.46. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $327.53 and a 200-day moving average price of $324.95. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 12-month low of $255.32 and a 12-month high of $405.67.

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 for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.77 by ($0.11). Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 12.74% and a net margin of 2.30%. 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 EPS. Lithia Motors's revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Lithia Motors

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.