Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Lowered to “Sell” at StockNews.com

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) was downgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note issued on Tuesday.

LAD has been the topic of a number of other reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $334.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $400.00 target price for the company. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $375.00 price target on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Lithia Motors from $298.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their target price on Lithia Motors from $440.00 to $380.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $336.40.

Lithia Motors Trading Up 1.5 %

Shares of NYSE LAD opened at $303.39 on Tuesday. Lithia Motors has a 1-year low of $205.97 and a 1-year high of $331.96. The company has a 50-day moving average of $294.73 and a two-hundred day moving average of $286.52. The company has a market cap of $8.35 billion, a PE ratio of 8.36, a P/E/G ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 14th. The company reported $8.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $8.11 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $7.67 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.95 billion. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 17.33% and a net margin of 3.22%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $9.05 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Lithia Motors will post 35.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 135 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.84, for a total value of $40,208.40. Following the sale, the director now owns 1,662 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $495,010.08. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.79% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithia Motors

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of LAD. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Lithia Motors by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 3,600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,080,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 41.1% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 3,116 shares of the company’s stock valued at $935,000 after buying an additional 908 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in Lithia Motors by 4.0% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 2,790 shares of the company’s stock valued at $902,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the period. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can lifted its position in Lithia Motors by 8.4% during the first quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 16,847 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,190,000 after acquiring an additional 1,310 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blair William & Co. IL boosted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 34.1% during the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 955 shares of the company’s stock worth $287,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the period.

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.