Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Earns Neutral Rating from Analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group

Analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) in a research note issued on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. The firm set a "neutral" rating and a $340.00 price target on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group's price target suggests a potential upside of 7.50% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on LAD. Guggenheim reduced their price target on Lithia Motors from $417.00 to $356.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Lithia Motors from $420.00 to $360.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Citigroup upgraded Lithia Motors from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lowered their price target for the company from $415.00 to $375.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. 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. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their target price 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 analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $362.40.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 1.2%

LAD traded down $3.80 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $316.28. 213,561 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 315,381. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.28. The company has a market cap of $8.23 billion, a PE ratio of 10.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.47. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $299.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $335.23. Lithia Motors has a one year low of $243.04 and a one year high of $405.68.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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). 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 the consensus estimate of $9.19 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $6.11 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

In other Lithia Motors news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 337 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.94, for a total value of $99,731.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,632 shares of the company's stock, valued at $482,974.08. This represents a 17.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 270 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $298.80, for a total value of $80,676.00. Following the sale, 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. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 855 shares of company stock worth $252,536. Company insiders own 0.87% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithia Motors

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC increased its stake in Lithia Motors by 10,136,710.0% in the first quarter. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC now owns 2,027,362 shares of the company's stock valued at $595,112,000 after acquiring an additional 2,027,342 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter worth approximately $152,752,000. Egerton Capital UK LLP bought a new position in shares of Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter worth approximately $113,250,000. Steadfast Capital Management LP lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 137.8% during the 4th quarter. Steadfast Capital Management LP now owns 460,298 shares of the company's stock worth $164,524,000 after buying an additional 266,715 shares during the period. Finally, Madison Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter valued at $91,190,000.

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.