Stanley Capital Management LLC Makes New $11.07 Million Investment in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Stanley Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 30,957 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,065,000. Lithia Motors makes up approximately 2.2% of Stanley Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Stanley Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.12% of Lithia Motors as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LAD. Madison Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors during the fourth quarter worth $91,190,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Lithia Motors by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 208,253 shares of the company's stock worth $74,436,000 after acquiring an additional 2,108 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in Lithia Motors by 497.7% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 3,676 shares of the company's stock worth $1,314,000 after acquiring an additional 3,061 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 1,073.7% during the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,770 shares of the company's stock valued at $990,000 after purchasing an additional 2,534 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE LAD traded down $0.40 during trading on Friday, reaching $307.19. 48,110 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 367,361. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.04 and a 1 year high of $405.67. The stock has a market cap of $8.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 1.19. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $298.82 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $338.55.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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 2.21% 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 last year, the company earned $6.11 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, May 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.55 per share. This is a positive change from Lithia Motors's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 9th. Lithia Motors's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.93%.

Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

In other Lithia Motors news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 337 shares of the firm'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 transaction, the director now directly owns 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 document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 270 shares of Lithia Motors 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 completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,213 shares in the company, valued at approximately $362,444.40. This represents a 18.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 855 shares of company stock valued at $252,536 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.87% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Benchmark reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Lithia Motors from $420.00 to $360.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Lithia Motors from $397.00 to $308.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Lithia Motors from $385.00 to $328.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $361.20.

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.