Lithia Motors (LAD) to Release Quarterly Earnings on Wednesday

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) will be issuing its quarterly earnings data before the market opens on Wednesday, April 24th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $8.06 per share for the quarter. Investors that wish to register for the company's conference call can do so using this link.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 14th. The company reported $8.24 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $8.11 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $7.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.95 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 3.22% and a return on equity of 17.33%. Lithia Motors's quarterly revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $9.05 EPS. On average, analysts expect Lithia Motors to post $35 EPS for the current fiscal year and $41 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Stock Up 1.0 %

LAD stock traded up $2.53 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $260.56. 218,171 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 200,520. The company has a market cap of $7.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.58. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $289.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $284.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. Lithia Motors has a 52 week low of $205.97 and a 52 week high of $331.96.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Stockholders of record on Saturday, March 9th were paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.77%. Lithia Motors's payout ratio is 5.51%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $334.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $400.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $298.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $336.90.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In other Lithia Motors news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 135 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $297.84, for a total transaction of $40,208.40. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 1,662 shares of the company's stock, valued at $495,010.08. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.79% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter worth about $65,185,000. Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 114.1% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 463,753 shares of the company's stock worth $94,949,000 after buying an additional 247,174 shares in the last quarter. MFN Partners Management LP lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 43.0% in the first quarter. MFN Partners Management LP now owns 751,077 shares of the company's stock worth $225,413,000 after buying an additional 225,806 shares in the last quarter. Eaton Vance Management lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 37,874.1% in the first quarter. Eaton Vance Management now owns 171,263 shares of the company's stock worth $51,400,000 after buying an additional 170,812 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eventide Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Lithia Motors by 94.6% in the second quarter. Eventide Asset Management LLC now owns 244,280 shares of the company's stock valued at $74,288,000 after purchasing an additional 118,781 shares in 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.