Values First Advisors Inc. Sells 377 Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Values First Advisors Inc. cut its holdings in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 13.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,503 shares of the company’s stock after selling 377 shares during the period. Values First Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $824,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mariner LLC grew its holdings in Lithia Motors by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,300,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in Lithia Motors by 33.7% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 35,164 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,385,000 after purchasing an additional 8,862 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. lifted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 95.6% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 12,649 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,736,000 after buying an additional 6,181 shares during the period. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky grew its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 93.2% in the 3rd quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 9,412 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,780,000 after buying an additional 4,541 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Comerica Bank bought a new position in shares of Lithia Motors during the third quarter valued at approximately $4,608,000.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE LAD traded down $2.53 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $300.86. The stock had a trading volume of 285,813 shares, compared to its average volume of 204,011. The company has a market cap of $8.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.29, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The business’s 50 day moving average is $294.90 and its 200-day moving average is $286.62. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 52 week low of $205.97 and a 52 week high of $331.96.

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

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Investors of record on Saturday, March 9th were issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.66%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 7th. Lithia Motors’s payout ratio is currently 5.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on LAD shares. Evercore ISI started coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $400.00 price target on the stock. 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. Bank of America reduced their target price on Lithia Motors from $440.00 to $380.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 29th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Lithia Motors from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Lithia Motors from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $336.40.

Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 135 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $297.84, for a total value of $40,208.40. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,662 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $495,010.08. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 1.79% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.