Lithia Motors FY2025 EPS Forecast Lifted by Seaport Res Ptn

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) - Research analysts at Seaport Res Ptn raised their FY2025 EPS estimates for Lithia Motors in a report issued on Sunday, April 20th. Seaport Res Ptn analyst G. Chin now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $36.46 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $35.64. The consensus estimate for Lithia Motors' current full-year earnings is $34.45 per share.

A number of other analysts have also commented on LAD. StockNews.com raised Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and reduced their price target for the company from $415.00 to $375.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Guggenheim dropped their price target on Lithia Motors from $417.00 to $356.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $385.00 to $328.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $397.00 to $308.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Lithia Motors presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $361.20.

Lithia Motors Trading Down 1.0 %

LAD traded down $2.79 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $290.09. 226,604 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 311,829. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.78, a P/E/G ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.61. Lithia Motors has a 52 week low of $243.04 and a 52 week high of $405.68. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $305.08 and a two-hundred day moving average of $341.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.28.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $7.66 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.77 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.19 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.21% and a return on equity of 12.43%. The business's revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $6.11 earnings per share.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, May 9th will be given a dividend of $0.55 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 9th. This is an increase from Lithia Motors's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.76%. Lithia Motors's payout ratio is 6.93%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 248 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.84, for a total transaction of $72,128.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $377,219.48. The trade was a 16.05 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 325 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $387.86, for a total transaction of $126,054.50. Following the sale, the insider now owns 1,665 shares in the company, valued at approximately $645,786.90. The trade was a 16.33 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 1,246 shares of company stock valued at $433,724. Company insiders own 0.87% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. KBC Group NV grew its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 12.1% in the first quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,178 shares of the company's stock valued at $346,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Whalen Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Lithia Motors by 71.0% in the first quarter. Whalen Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,185 shares of the company's stock worth $348,000 after purchasing an additional 492 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 1.5% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 2,421 shares of the company's stock worth $711,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 2.6% in the first quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 3,120 shares of the company's stock worth $915,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Chicago Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Chicago Capital LLC now owns 214,870 shares of the company's stock valued at $63,073,000 after buying an additional 1,172 shares in the last quarter.

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.