Strs Ohio Decreases Stake in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Strs Ohio lessened its stake in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 8.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,824 shares of the company’s stock after selling 530 shares during the period. Strs Ohio’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $1,917,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the third quarter worth about $32,000. Denali Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Lithia Motors by 5,050.0% in the 4th quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 103 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the period. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Lithia Motors by 509.5% during the 3rd quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, State of Wyoming boosted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 35.2% in the 2nd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 196 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 135 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.84, for a total transaction of $40,208.40. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 1,662 shares in the company, valued at $495,010.08. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

Lithia Motors Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:LAD opened at $261.00 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.58. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $286.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $284.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 0.45. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 1 year low of $206.69 and a 1 year high of $331.96.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 14th. The company reported $8.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.11 by $0.13. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 3.22% and a return on equity of 17.33%. The business had revenue of $7.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.95 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $9.05 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 35.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Shareholders of record on Saturday, March 9th were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.77%. Lithia Motors’s payout ratio is currently 5.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Wednesday, January 17th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $400.00 target price for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $334.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $375.00 price target on shares of Lithia Motors in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. Guggenheim dropped their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $297.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $298.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $334.60.

Lithia Motors 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.