Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Shares Purchased by Moran Wealth Management LLC

Moran Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 22,971 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the quarter. Moran Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $7,297,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Versor Investments LP lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 7.0% in the 3rd quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 856 shares of the company’s stock worth $272,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $607,000. Comerica Bank lifted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 89.0% during the 1st quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 29,473 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,867,000 after buying an additional 13,875 shares in the last quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 22.9% during the 2nd quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 70,405 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,774,000 after buying an additional 13,126 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bridges Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 118.9% during the 2nd quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 160,860 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,609,000 after buying an additional 87,362 shares in the last quarter.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 46,129 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,417,080.94. The trade was a 20.56 % 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 the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $386.72, for a total transaction of $6,127,965.12. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 207,924 shares in the company, valued at approximately $80,408,369.28. The trade was a 7.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 50,394 shares of company stock worth $16,688,879 over the last ninety days. 1.79% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

LAD opened at $371.54 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.00 and a 52-week high of $388.36. The company has a 50 day moving average of $326.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $287.84. The company has a market cap of $9.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.68 and a beta of 1.63.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $8.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.60 by $0.61. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 12.95%. The company had revenue of $9.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.46 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $9.25 earnings per share. Lithia Motors’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 29.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.57%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.24%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on LAD shares. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $225.00 to $310.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $375.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $299.00 to $343.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Stephens raised their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $353.80.

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.