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

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) had its price objective reduced by Barclays from $410.00 to $390.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Barclays‘s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 16.53% from the stock’s current price.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Lithia Motors from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Lithia Motors from $327.00 to $358.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their target price on Lithia Motors from $440.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $390.70.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 0.7%

NYSE:LAD opened at $334.69 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $8.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.69 and a beta of 1.18. Lithia Motors has a twelve month low of $262.10 and a twelve month high of $405.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $328.44 and a 200-day simple moving average of $321.12.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The company reported $9.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.53 by $0.97. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.39% and a return on equity of 13.42%. The firm had revenue of $9.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $8.21 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors will post 34.45 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Oak Thistle LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 162.9% in the 4th quarter. Oak Thistle LLC now owns 2,253 shares of the company’s stock valued at $749,000 after buying an additional 1,396 shares in the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter worth approximately $50,000. eCIO Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Whalen Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter worth approximately $471,000.

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.