Westwood Holdings Group Inc. Decreases Stock Holdings in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Westwood Holdings Group Inc. reduced its position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 22.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 70,197 shares of the company's stock after selling 20,878 shares during the period. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. owned about 0.26% of Lithia Motors worth $25,091,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 33.9% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 146 shares of the company's stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 700 shares of the company's stock valued at $250,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 863 shares of the company's stock valued at $308,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Mariner LLC grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 1,475 shares of the company's stock valued at $527,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Isthmus Partners LLC lifted its stake in Lithia Motors by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 1,147 shares of the company's stock valued at $410,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

Shares of LAD stock opened at $322.05 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.04 and a 1-year high of $405.68. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $297.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $339.18. The company has a market capitalization of $8.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.85, a P/E/G ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.48.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $7.66 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 firm had revenue of $9.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.19 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $6.11 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be given a $0.55 dividend. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.68%. This is an increase from Lithia Motors's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. Lithia Motors's payout ratio is currently 6.93%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LAD has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. 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 report on Thursday, March 27th. Citigroup upgraded Lithia Motors from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $415.00 to $375.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Evercore ISI increased their target price on Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Benchmark reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 target price on shares of Lithia Motors in a report on Thursday, February 20th. Finally, Guggenheim lowered their target price on Lithia Motors from $417.00 to $356.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Four investment 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, Lithia Motors currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $361.20.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 337 shares of the company'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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $482,974.08. This represents a 17.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 270 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $298.80, for a total transaction of $80,676.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 1,213 shares of the company's stock, valued at $362,444.40. This trade represents a 18.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 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.

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