CreativeOne Wealth LLC Makes New $318,000 Investment in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

CreativeOne Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 966 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $318,000.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC bought a new position in Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. Denali Advisors LLC increased its position in Lithia Motors by 5,050.0% in 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. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter valued at $49,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Lithia Motors by 52.0% during the 3rd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 380 shares of the company’s stock worth $112,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the period. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 5,785.7% during the fourth quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 412 shares of the company’s stock valued at $135,000 after purchasing an additional 405 shares during the period.

Lithia Motors Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of Lithia Motors stock traded up $2.17 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $256.34. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 202,078 shares, compared to its average volume of 244,132. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.57, a PEG ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 1.59. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 1-year low of $229.71 and a 1-year high of $331.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $271.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $284.25.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $6.11 earnings per share (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 company had revenue of $8.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.58 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $8.44 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 22.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 28.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 24th. Investors of record on Friday, May 10th were given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 9th. This is a positive change from Lithia Motors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 6.26%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LAD has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $280.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Morgan Stanley increased 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. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. StockNews.com raised Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $334.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $318.55.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In other news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 138 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $254.42, for a total transaction of $35,109.96. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $566,847.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

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.