Blue Trust Inc. Increases Stock Holdings in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 48.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 297 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc.’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $106,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in Lithia Motors in the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted 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 during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 30.5% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 167 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in Lithia Motors by 23.9% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 249 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Finally, Atomi Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter valued at about $202,000.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on LAD shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Lithia Motors from $405.00 to $400.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Guggenheim increased their target price on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Stephens lifted their target price on Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $343.00 to $346.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $357.40.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Tina Miller sold 1,000 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $392.72, for a total value of $392,720.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 10,403 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,085,466.16. This trade represents a 8.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Bryan B. Deboer sold 15,846 shares of the company’s 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 sale, the chief executive officer now owns 207,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $80,408,369.28. This represents a 7.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 38,770 shares of company stock worth $15,103,607. 1.79% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LAD opened at $381.18 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. The stock has a market cap of $10.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.01, a PEG ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 1.67. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $364.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $329.88. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.00 and a 52 week high of $405.67.

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. Its Financing Operations segment provides financing to customers buying and leasing retail vehicles.