Gary M. Glandon Sells 325 Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Stock

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) insider Gary M. Glandon sold 325 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $387.86, for a total transaction of $126,054.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 1,665 shares in the company, valued at $645,786.90. The trade was a 16.33 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Lithia Motors Trading Down 1.1 %

NYSE LAD opened at $380.41 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $363.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $335.37. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a one year low of $243.00 and a one year high of $405.67. 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 firm has a market cap of $10.13 billion, a PE ratio of 12.98, a P/E/G ratio of 4.90 and a beta of 1.67.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $7.79 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.33 by $0.46. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 12.95% and a net margin of 2.31%. Analysts expect that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 29.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Friday, March 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 7th. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.24%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Comerica Bank lifted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 27.1% in the 4th quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 36,295 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,973,000 after acquiring an additional 7,739 shares during the period. AdvisorShares Investments LLC acquired a new position in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter worth approximately $465,000. Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 30.1% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 256,979 shares of the company’s stock worth $91,852,000 after buying an additional 59,525 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 10.8% in the 4th quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 183,734 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,672,000 after buying an additional 17,876 shares during the period. Finally, Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,910,000.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LAD has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Benchmark started coverage on Lithia Motors in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $400.00 price target for the company. 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 report on Friday, January 17th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $346.00 to $397.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday. Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $362.50.

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.