Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Shares Acquired by Amalgamated Bank

Amalgamated Bank grew its stake in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) by 16.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,759 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,992 shares during the quarter. Amalgamated Bank owned 0.08% of Lithia Motors worth $6,836,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. Denali Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Lithia Motors by 5,050.0% during the 4th quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 103 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the period. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 509.5% during the 3rd quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 128 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter worth approximately $49,000. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 32.0% during the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 231 shares of the company's stock valued at $68,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 138 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $254.42, for a total value of $35,109.96. Following the sale, the director now owns 2,228 shares of the company's stock, valued at $566,847.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.79% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

LAD traded up $8.85 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $262.33. The company's stock had a trading volume of 217,107 shares, compared to its average volume of 227,479. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 12 month low of $207.08 and a 12 month high of $331.96. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The business's 50-day moving average price is $279.52 and its 200-day moving average price is $283.17. The stock has a market cap of $7.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.48, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.59.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $6.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.85 by ($1.74). Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.87% and a return on equity of 15.62%. The business had revenue of $8.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $8.44 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 22.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 32.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 24th. Investors of record on Friday, May 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 9th. This is a positive change from Lithia Motors's previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Lithia Motors's dividend payout ratio is presently 5.90%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $334.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. Guggenheim decreased their price objective on Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $297.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Lithia Motors from $285.00 to $270.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. StockNews.com upgraded Lithia Motors from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $318.55.

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.