Headlands Technologies LLC Acquires New Holdings in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 461 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $116,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in LAD. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 83.6% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 134 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 13.3% in the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 554 shares of the company’s stock valued at $167,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC boosted its position in Lithia Motors by 2.2% in the first quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 3,468 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,043,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC boosted its position in Lithia Motors by 12.0% in the first quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 692 shares of the company’s stock worth $208,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CreativeOne Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 8.1% during the 1st quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 1,044 shares of the company’s stock valued at $314,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the period.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.86, for a total value of $3,472,286.68. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 46,129 shares in the company, valued at $13,417,080.94. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 306 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $289.65, for a total value of $88,632.90. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 1,922 shares in the company, valued at approximately $556,707.30. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.86, for a total transaction of $3,472,286.68. Following the sale, the director now owns 46,129 shares in the company, valued at $13,417,080.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

Lithia Motors Stock Up 3.5 %

NYSE LAD opened at $279.51 on Monday. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 12 month low of $231.36 and a 12 month high of $331.96. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The stock has a market cap of $7.66 billion, a PE ratio of 8.25, a P/E/G ratio of 0.26 and a beta of 1.64. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $276.03 and its 200 day moving average is $271.20.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $7.87 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.09 by $0.78. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.52% and a return on equity of 13.84%. The firm had revenue of $9.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.29 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $10.91 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 28.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 9th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 9th. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 6.26%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LAD has been the topic of a number of research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday. They set an “overweight” rating and a $360.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com lowered Lithia Motors from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Lithia Motors from $266.00 to $302.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Lithia Motors from $315.00 to $375.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Lithia Motors has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $326.00.

Lithia Motors Company 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.