Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Price Target Cut to $280.00 by Analysts at Citigroup

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) had its price target lowered by investment analysts at Citigroup from $320.00 to $280.00 in a research report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. Citigroup’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 6.58% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Guggenheim reduced their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $297.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 17th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $375.00 target price on shares of Lithia Motors in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $290.00 to $248.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. StockNews.com lowered shares of Lithia Motors from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, April 18th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $334.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $320.82.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

Shares of LAD stock opened at $262.72 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $283.22 and its 200-day moving average price is $283.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 1.17. Lithia Motors has a one year low of $206.69 and a one year high of $331.96. The firm has a market cap of $7.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.58.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $6.11 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.85 by ($1.74). Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 15.59% and a net margin of 2.87%. The company had revenue of $8.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $8.44 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 22.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Lithia Motors will post 34.78 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Denali Advisors LLC raised its stake in Lithia Motors by 5,050.0% during the 4th quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 103 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC purchased a new position in Lithia Motors during the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Lithia Motors by 509.5% during the 3rd quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new position in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter worth $49,000. Finally, Rise Advisors LLC grew its position in Lithia Motors by 80.2% during the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 191 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter.

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.