Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Stock Position Lowered by River Road Asset Management LLC

River Road Asset Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 1.8% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 82,660 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,484 shares during the period. River Road Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $27,218,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mariner LLC increased its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 4.1% in the third quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,300,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in Lithia Motors by 33.7% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 35,164 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,385,000 after purchasing an additional 8,862 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 95.6% in the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 12,649 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,736,000 after purchasing an additional 6,181 shares in the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky boosted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 93.2% in the third quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 9,412 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,780,000 after buying an additional 4,541 shares during the period. Finally, Comerica Bank purchased a new position in shares of Lithia Motors during the third quarter valued at $4,608,000.

Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 135 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.84, for a total transaction of $40,208.40. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,662 shares in the company, valued at $495,010.08. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.79% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Lithia Motors Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of LAD stock opened at $261.20 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $288.43 and a 200-day moving average of $284.45. The firm has a market cap of $7.19 billion, a PE ratio of 7.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.58. 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, Inc. has a 12 month low of $205.97 and a 12 month high of $331.96.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 14th. The company reported $8.24 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.11 by $0.13. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 3.22% and a return on equity of 17.33%. The firm had revenue of $7.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.95 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $9.05 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 35.35 EPS for the current year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 4th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Lithia Motors from $298.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Lithia Motors from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. Guggenheim cut their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $297.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of 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 assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $334.60.

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.