Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Here’s What Happened

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) saw strong trading volume on Thursday . 543,587 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 52% from the previous session’s volume of 356,914 shares.The stock last traded at $343.54 and had previously closed at $345.48.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $280.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, September 27th. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $225.00 to $310.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Lithia Motors from $343.00 to $346.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Lithia Motors from $405.00 to $400.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $357.40.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average of $366.97 and a 200-day moving average of $322.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. The company has a market cap of $9.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.83, a P/E/G ratio of 4.95 and a beta of 1.67.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $8.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.60 by $0.61. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 12.95%. The firm had revenue of $9.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.46 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $9.25 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 29.25 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In related news, CEO Bryan B. Deboer sold 3,313 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $380.00, for a total transaction of $1,258,940.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 192,814 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $73,269,320. This represents a 1.69 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Tina Miller sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $392.72, for a total transaction of $392,720.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 10,403 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,085,466.16. This trade represents a 8.77 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 38,770 shares of company stock worth $15,103,607. Insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Lithia Motors during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in Lithia Motors by 69.9% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 30.5% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 167 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 49.3% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 200 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 23.9% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 249 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter.

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. Its Financing Operations segment provides financing to customers buying and leasing retail vehicles.