Zacks Research Raises Earnings Estimates for Lithia Motors

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q1 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Lithia Motors in a report issued on Wednesday, January 29th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now expects that the company will post earnings of $7.97 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $7.78. The consensus estimate for Lithia Motors’ current full-year earnings is $29.26 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Lithia Motors’ Q3 2025 earnings at $9.70 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $7.26 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $34.04 EPS and Q4 2026 earnings at $10.36 EPS.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on LAD. Stephens increased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Benchmark initiated coverage on Lithia Motors in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $400.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Lithia Motors from $405.00 to $400.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 17th. StockNews.com raised Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Guggenheim increased their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $357.40.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

LAD stock opened at $366.22 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 1.18. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $364.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $328.32. Lithia Motors has a 52-week low of $243.00 and a 52-week high of $405.67. The company has a market capitalization of $9.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 1.67.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In other news, CFO Tina Miller sold 1,000 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 $4,085,466.16. This trade represents a 8.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Bryan B. Deboer sold 15,846 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction dated 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 $80,408,369.28. This trade represents a 7.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 38,770 shares of company stock valued at $15,103,607 in the last ninety days. 1.79% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in Lithia Motors during the third quarter valued at about $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 69.9% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in Lithia Motors by 30.5% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 167 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 49.3% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 200 shares of the company’s stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC grew its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 23.9% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 249 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period.

About Lithia Motors

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.