Barclays Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Stock Price

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) had its price objective dropped by investment analysts at Barclays from $390.00 to $380.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Barclays‘s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 24.40% from the company’s current price.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Lithia Motors in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $385.00 to $399.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $358.00 to $355.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Evercore raised their price target on Lithia Motors from $440.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lithia Motors in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $388.90.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

LAD stock opened at $305.45 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.41 billion, a PE ratio of 9.50 and a beta of 1.20. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $331.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $321.31. Lithia Motors has a 12-month low of $262.10 and a 12-month high of $373.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $6.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.09 by ($1.35). Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.18% and a return on equity of 12.76%. The business had revenue of $9.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $7.79 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Lithia Motors will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Lithia Motors news, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 75 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $360.00, for a total transaction of $27,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 1,810 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $651,600. The trade was a 3.98% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.87% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. CoreCap Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 114.6% during the second quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 88 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in Lithia Motors by 1,383.3% during the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 89 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the period. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 111.4% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 93 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Eastern Bank purchased a new stake in Lithia Motors in the third quarter valued at $31,000.

Lithia Motors Company Profile

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.