Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Shares Gap Up to $276.33

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)’s stock price gapped up before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $276.33, but opened at $302.51. Lithia Motors shares last traded at $299.66, with a volume of 47,082 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $270.00 to $280.00 in a research report on Monday, June 10th. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $280.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $290.00 to $248.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Finally, Guggenheim cut shares of Lithia Motors from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $308.40.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 0.28. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $256.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $273.60. The company has a market capitalization of $8.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 1.63.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 83.6% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 134 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors during the fourth quarter worth about $49,000. Rise Advisors LLC grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 80.2% during the first quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 191 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,000 after buying an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors during the fourth quarter worth about $67,000. Finally, McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 12,500.0% during the second quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 252 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,000 after buying an additional 250 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.