Long Focus Capital Management LLC Takes $3.52 Million Position in Lithia Motors, Inc. $LAD

Long Focus Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 11,149 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,523,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of LAD. AGP Franklin LLC increased its position in Lithia Motors by 0.3% in the 3rd 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 raised its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 0.4% in the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 7,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,434,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp lifted its position in Lithia Motors by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 1,488 shares of the company’s stock worth $503,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Vident Advisory LLC lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 842 shares of the company’s stock worth $285,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 1.4% during the third quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 3,011 shares of the company’s stock worth $951,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 0.9%

Lithia Motors stock opened at $252.49 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $306.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $316.74. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $250.99 and a fifty-two week high of $360.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.86, a PEG ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 1.21. 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 (NYSE:LAD) last issued its earnings results 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 during 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $7.79 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 20th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be given a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio is currently 6.85%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Lithia Motors from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $358.00 to $355.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Bank of America started coverage on Lithia Motors in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Evercore upped their price objective on Lithia Motors from $440.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $382.33.

About Lithia Motors

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.