Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Decreases Stake in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio decreased its position in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 8.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,006 shares of the company's stock after selling 834 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio's holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $3,219,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vise Technologies Inc. purchased a new stake in Lithia Motors during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $271,000. Castleark Management LLC lifted its position in Lithia Motors by 78.5% during the fourth quarter. Castleark Management LLC now owns 15,300 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,469,000 after acquiring an additional 6,730 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its position in Lithia Motors by 16.5% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 79,763 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,510,000 after acquiring an additional 11,315 shares during the last quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC increased its stake in Lithia Motors by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC now owns 3,927 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,404,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vident Advisory LLC increased its stake in Lithia Motors by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 780 shares of the company's stock valued at $279,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:LAD traded down $3.62 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $316.47. The company's stock had a trading volume of 32,653 shares, compared to its average volume of 359,299. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.24 billion, a PE ratio of 10.66, a P/E/G ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.47. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a twelve month low of $243.04 and a twelve month high of $405.67. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $299.99 and a 200 day moving average of $335.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 12.43% and a net margin of 2.21%. The firm's revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $6.11 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 9th were issued a dividend of $0.55 per share. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.70%. This is an increase from Lithia Motors's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 9th. Lithia Motors's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 6.93%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LAD has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Tuesday. They set a "neutral" rating and a $340.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and cut their price target for the company from $415.00 to $375.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Guggenheim cut their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $417.00 to $356.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $397.00 to $308.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $362.40.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In other Lithia Motors news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 248 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.84, for a total transaction of $72,128.32. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,297 shares of the company's stock, valued at $377,219.48. This trade represents a 16.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 270 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $298.80, for a total transaction of $80,676.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,213 shares in the company, valued at approximately $362,444.40. The trade was a 18.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 855 shares of company stock valued at $252,536 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.87% of the company's stock.

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.