Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Shares Acquired by LRT Capital Management LLC

LRT Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 54.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,862 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,714 shares during the period. LRT Capital Management LLC's holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $1,738,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Lithia Motors during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in Lithia Motors by 69.9% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company's stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 33.9% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 146 shares of the company's stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its position in Lithia Motors by 1,420.0% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 152 shares of the company's stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Lithia Motors from $385.00 to $328.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $420.00 to $360.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $397.00 to $308.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 21st. Guggenheim lowered their target price 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. Finally, Citigroup raised Lithia Motors from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $415.00 to $375.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Lithia Motors currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $361.20.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In related news, COO Adam Chamberlain sold 403 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.28, for a total value of $154,864.84. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 2,605 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,001,049.40. This trade represents a 13.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 337 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.94, for a total transaction of $99,731.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 1,258 shares of company stock valued at $407,401 in the last ninety days. 0.87% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Lithia Motors Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE LAD traded down $2.69 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $320.42. The stock had a trading volume of 259,873 shares, compared to its average volume of 314,990. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The firm has a market cap of $8.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.80, a P/E/G ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.48. The business's fifty day moving average price is $296.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $339.50. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.04 and a 52-week high of $405.68.

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). 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.19 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $6.11 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be paid a $0.55 dividend. This is an increase from Lithia Motors's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 9th. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.69%. Lithia Motors's dividend payout ratio is presently 6.93%.

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.