Xponance Inc. Boosts Stake in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Xponance Inc. increased its position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 1.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,305 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. Xponance Inc.’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $1,539,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 11.7% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 1,817 shares of the company’s stock valued at $649,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC raised its stake in Lithia Motors by 13.2% during the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 92,922 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,213,000 after acquiring an additional 10,846 shares during the last quarter. Madison Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $91,190,000. Vestcor Inc purchased a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $771,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its stake in Lithia Motors by 1,420.0% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 152 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of Lithia Motors stock opened at $306.45 on Friday. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.00 and a fifty-two week high of $405.68. The firm has a market cap of $8.06 billion, a PE ratio of 10.33, a P/E/G ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.69. The business’s fifty day moving average is $345.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $341.69. 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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $7.79 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.33 by $0.46. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 12.43% and a net margin of 2.21%. Analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 7th. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.14%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LAD has been the subject of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped 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. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Lithia Motors from $346.00 to $397.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $371.36.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 248 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.84, for a total value of $72,128.32. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $377,219.48. This trade represents a 16.05 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 270 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $298.80, for a total value of $80,676.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,213 shares in the company, valued at $362,444.40. This trade represents a 18.21 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 1,246 shares of company stock valued at $433,724. 0.87% of the stock is currently 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. Its Financing Operations segment provides financing to customers buying and leasing retail vehicles.