Q1 EPS Estimates for Lithia Motors Boosted by Zacks Research

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q1 2027 earnings per share estimates for shares of Lithia Motors in a note issued to investors on Thursday, March 26th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will post earnings per share of $9.48 for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $8.95. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Lithia Motors’ current full-year earnings is $34.45 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Lithia Motors’ Q4 2027 earnings at $14.21 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $47.46 EPS.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $6.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $8.09 by ($1.35). Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 12.76% and a net margin of 2.18%.The firm had revenue of $9.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $7.79 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year.

LAD has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $390.00 to $380.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Lithia Motors from $358.00 to $355.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on Lithia Motors from $399.00 to $366.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $382.33.

Lithia Motors Trading Down 0.2%

LAD stock opened at $250.04 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.85 billion, a PE ratio of 7.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 1.17. Lithia Motors has a one year low of $239.78 and a one year high of $360.55. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $292.08 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $311.23.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th were issued a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 6th. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.85%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in LAD. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 106.7% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 337 shares of the company’s stock valued at $112,000 after buying an additional 174 shares during the period. Advisortrust Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter worth $265,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 87.2% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,351 shares of the company’s stock valued at $781,000 after acquiring an additional 1,095 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 225.5% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 166 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arwa LLC purchased a new position in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter valued at $467,000.

Key Headlines Impacting Lithia Motors

Here are the key news stories impacting Lithia Motors this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Some analyst coverage remains constructive — the consensus analyst view cited by an aggregation site still shows an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy,” which could provide support if other brokers stick to buy/hold views. Analyst average recommendation
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and buy/sell screen articles (e.g., Yahoo Finance piece) are discussing whether LAD is a good buy now — such coverage can drive short-term interest but is unlikely to change fundamentals immediately. Is LAD a Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research lowered Q2/Q3 and FY2027 EPS estimates and moved its rating to “Strong Sell” (Q2 from $9.40→$9.17, Q3 from $9.53→$8.92, FY to $41.77). That combination of a formal downgrade plus lower near‑term earnings expectations is the main immediate negative catalyst pressuring the stock. Zacks research downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Recent reported results (Feb 11 quarter) showed an EPS miss versus consensus and very slim year‑over‑year revenue growth; lingering concerns about margin pressure and inventory/used-car dynamics remain relevant for near‑term earnings visibility. Quarterly results and background

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.