Mirabella Financial Services LLP Makes New Investment in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Mirabella Financial Services LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 3,016 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,077,000.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 8.5% during the 4th quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 15,009 shares of the company's stock worth $5,365,000 after buying an additional 1,181 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in Lithia Motors by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,194,539 shares of the company's stock worth $426,968,000 after acquiring an additional 27,035 shares in the last quarter. Forum Financial Management LP purchased a new position in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter valued at about $202,000. Commerce Bank raised its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 48.3% in the 4th quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 952 shares of the company's stock valued at $340,000 after purchasing an additional 310 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co boosted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 5.4% during the fourth quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 24,206 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,646,000 after purchasing an additional 1,238 shares in the last quarter.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently commented on LAD. 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. StockNews.com upgraded Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Citigroup raised shares of Lithia Motors from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $415.00 to $375.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Guggenheim decreased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $417.00 to $356.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Lithia Motors currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $361.20.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lithia Motors news, COO Adam Chamberlain sold 403 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $384.28, for a total value of $154,864.84. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 2,605 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,001,049.40. This represents a 13.40 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 248 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction on Friday, March 14th. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at $377,219.48. The trade was a 16.05 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 1,246 shares of company stock valued at $433,724 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.87% of the company's stock.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:LAD traded up $0.37 on Friday, hitting $292.54. 508,177 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 312,429. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.61. 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 50 day moving average price is $305.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $340.51.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last released 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 return on equity of 12.43% and a net margin of 2.21%. The firm had revenue of $9.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.19 billion. Sell-side analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.75%. This is a positive change from Lithia Motors's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. Lithia Motors's dividend payout ratio is presently 6.93%.

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.