Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Shares Sold by IFP Advisors Inc

IFP Advisors Inc lessened its position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 25.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,206 shares of the company’s stock after selling 744 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $791,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in LAD. Creative Planning lifted its position in Lithia Motors by 5.4% in the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 1,657 shares of the company’s stock valued at $526,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 49.3% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 200 shares of the company’s stock valued at $64,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $248,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue boosted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 4.5% in the third quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 3,110 shares of the company’s stock valued at $987,000 after buying an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. acquired a new position in Lithia Motors during the third quarter worth $268,000.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

LAD stock opened at $344.27 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 1.19. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $360.40 and its 200 day moving average price is $339.67. The firm has a market cap of $9.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.60, a PEG ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.67. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.00 and a 1 year high of $405.67.

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

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.62%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.14%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on LAD shares. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 price target on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $346.00 to $397.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. 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 research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $371.36.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Adam Chamberlain sold 403 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $384.28, for a total transaction of $154,864.84. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 2,605 shares in the company, valued at $1,001,049.40. This trade represents a 13.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 325 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $387.86, for a total value of $126,054.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 1,665 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $645,786.90. The trade was a 16.33 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

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.