Yousif Capital Management LLC Decreases Stake in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Yousif Capital Management LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 3.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 10,236 shares of the company’s stock after selling 313 shares during the quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $3,659,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 69.9% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 30.5% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 167 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 49.3% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 200 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in Lithia Motors by 23.9% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 249 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on LAD shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Stephens boosted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Guggenheim increased their target price on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Lithia Motors from $343.00 to $346.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lithia Motors presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $357.40.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LAD opened at $374.09 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.96 billion, a PE ratio of 12.77, a P/E/G ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 1.67. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.00 and a 1-year high of $405.67. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $364.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $329.88.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In other news, CEO Bryan B. Deboer sold 15,846 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $386.72, for a total value of $6,127,965.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 207,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $80,408,369.28. This represents a 7.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Tina Miller sold 1,000 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $392.72, for a total transaction of $392,720.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 10,403 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,085,466.16. This represents a 8.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 38,770 shares of company stock worth $15,103,607. 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. Its Financing Operations segment provides financing to customers buying and leasing retail vehicles.