Insider Selling: Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Director Sells $35,109.96 in Stock

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 138 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $254.42, for a total value of $35,109.96. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 2,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $566,847.76. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Shauna Mcintyre also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Friday, February 16th, Shauna Mcintyre sold 135 shares of Lithia Motors stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $297.84, for a total transaction of $40,208.40.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

LAD opened at $253.48 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 12-month low of $206.69 and a 12-month high of $331.96. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $279.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $282.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.98 billion, a PE ratio of 7.48, a P/E/G ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 1.59.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $6.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.85 by ($1.74). Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 15.62% and a net margin of 2.87%. The business had revenue of $8.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.58 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $8.44 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 32.24 EPS for the current year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 10th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This is an increase from Lithia Motors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 9th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.84%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio is presently 5.90%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of LAD. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors during the 1st quarter worth approximately $194,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its holdings in Lithia Motors by 7.8% in the first quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 4,404 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,325,000 after buying an additional 320 shares in the last quarter. Consolidated Planning Corp acquired a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the first quarter worth about $244,000. Iridian Asset Management LLC CT boosted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 9.8% during the 1st quarter. Iridian Asset Management LLC CT now owns 68,837 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,710,000 after acquiring an additional 6,171 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 34.4% during the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 1,114 shares of the company’s stock valued at $335,000 after acquiring an additional 285 shares during the period.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LAD has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on Lithia Motors in a research report on Wednesday, January 17th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $400.00 price target on the stock. Craig Hallum decreased their price target on Lithia Motors from $350.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Bank of America raised their price target on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $285.00 to $270.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Finally, Guggenheim lowered their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $297.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $318.55.

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.