Handelsbanken Fonder AB Sells 200 Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Handelsbanken Fonder AB lessened its position in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 2.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,258 shares of the company’s stock after selling 200 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $2,594,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter worth about $46,505,000. Verition Fund Management LLC grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 1,960.2% during the third quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 126,909 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,311,000 after purchasing an additional 120,749 shares during the period. HITE Hedge Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Lithia Motors by 5,233.4% in the third quarter. HITE Hedge Asset Management LLC now owns 107,629 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,187,000 after purchasing an additional 105,611 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its stake in Lithia Motors by 12.8% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 753,067 shares of the company’s stock valued at $239,204,000 after buying an additional 85,579 shares during the period. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Lithia Motors during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,071,000.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 0.7 %

LAD stock opened at $347.65 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $361.46 and its 200-day moving average is $339.15. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a twelve month low of $243.00 and a twelve month high of $405.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.26 billion, a PE ratio of 11.71, a P/E/G ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $7.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.33 by $0.46. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.21% and a return on equity of 12.43%. Sell-side analysts expect that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.61%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 7th. Lithia Motors’s payout ratio is 7.14%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $400.00 price objective on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Lithia Motors from $346.00 to $397.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Guggenheim upped their price target on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $371.36.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In related news, COO Adam Chamberlain sold 403 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.28, for a total value of $154,864.84. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 2,605 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,001,049.40. The trade was a 13.40 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Tina Miller sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $392.72, for a total transaction of $392,720.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 10,403 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,085,466.16. The trade was a 8.77 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 1,728 shares of company stock worth $673,639. Insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

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.