Q1 EPS Estimates for Lithia Motors Lifted by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its Q1 2027 EPS estimate for Lithia Motors to $9.15 from $9.13 and left a "Hold" rating, while the consensus full-year EPS estimate stands at $34.68.
• Lithia recently missed the prior quarter's EPS expectation, reporting $6.74 versus a $8.09 consensus (a $1.35 shortfall) even as revenue of $9.20 billion roughly matched estimates, leaving net margin at 2.18%.
• Several brokerages have trimmed price targets, producing mixed ratings, but MarketBeat's consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $361.00.

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD - Free Report) - Zacks Research raised their Q1 2027 earnings estimates for Lithia Motors in a report released on Friday, April 24th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will earn $9.15 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $9.13. Zacks Research currently has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Lithia Motors' current full-year earnings is $34.68 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Lithia Motors' Q3 2027 earnings at $8.91 EPS.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $6.74 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $8.09 by ($1.35). The firm had revenue of $9.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.19 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.18% and a return on equity of 12.76%. The business's revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $7.79 earnings per share.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on LAD. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $366.00 to $326.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $370.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $335.00 to $320.00 in a research note on Monday, April 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $335.00 to $320.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $361.00.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

LAD stock opened at $277.34 on Tuesday. Lithia Motors has a 1 year low of $239.78 and a 1 year high of $360.55. The company has a market cap of $6.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.63, a PEG ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.22. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $268.08 and a 200 day moving average of $302.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 0.26.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th were issued a $0.55 dividend. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 6th. Lithia Motors's dividend payout ratio is 6.85%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 26.8% in the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 156 shares of the company's stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. AGP Franklin LLC boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 0.3% in the third quarter. AGP Franklin LLC now owns 10,459 shares of the company's stock worth $3,305,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 0.4% in the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 7,702 shares of the company's stock worth $2,434,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 9.2% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 403 shares of the company's stock worth $134,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 3.8% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 984 shares of the company's stock worth $246,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Company Profile

Lithia Motors, Inc is an American automotive retailer headquartered in Medford, Oregon. Founded in 1946 as a small auto body and glass shop, the company has grown through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to become one of the largest automotive retail networks in North America. Lithia operates dealerships across the United States and Canada, offering a broad portfolio of new and pre-owned vehicles from more than 40 different manufacturers.

The company's core business activities include vehicle sales, financing, insurance, parts and service.

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