Lithia Motors, Inc. Expected to Post Q4 2024 Earnings of $7.81 Per Share (NYSE:LAD)

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q4 2024 earnings per share estimates for shares of Lithia Motors in a research report issued on Wednesday, May 8th. Zacks Research analyst R. Singhi now expects that the company will earn $7.81 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $8.43. The consensus estimate for Lithia Motors' current full-year earnings is $32.24 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Lithia Motors' Q2 2025 earnings at $12.12 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $12.41 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $12.49 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $14.09 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $57.85 EPS.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. StockNews.com upgraded Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Craig Hallum cut their target price on Lithia Motors from $350.00 to $310.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Lithia Motors from $290.00 to $248.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Finally, Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $375.00 target price on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $318.55.

Lithia Motors Trading Up 0.1 %

Lithia Motors stock traded up $0.38 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $264.45. 168,526 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 226,204. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $277.10 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $282.91. Lithia Motors has a 12-month low of $207.08 and a 12-month high of $331.96. The firm has a market cap of $7.25 billion, a PE ratio of 7.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $6.11 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $7.85 by ($1.74). Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.87% and a return on equity of 15.62%. The firm had revenue of $8.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $8.44 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 22.7% compared to the same quarter last year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 10th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 9th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.80%. This is a positive change from Lithia Motors's previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Lithia Motors's payout ratio is presently 5.90%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 135 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.84, for a total value of $40,208.40. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,662 shares of the company's stock, valued at $495,010.08. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.79% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 3.3% in the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 5,746 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,697,000 after buying an additional 184 shares in the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 15.3% in the third quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 5,481 shares of the company's stock worth $1,619,000 after acquiring an additional 729 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio raised its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 42.0% in the third quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 6,354 shares of the company's stock worth $1,876,000 after acquiring an additional 1,878 shares during the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the third quarter worth $594,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 14.2% in the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 3,422 shares of the company's stock worth $1,011,000 after acquiring an additional 426 shares during the last quarter.

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.