Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

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

LAD has been the topic of several other research reports. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $280.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $290.00 to $248.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Guggenheim dropped their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $297.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $400.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $320.82.

Lithia Motors Trading Up 1.9 %

NYSE LAD opened at $262.72 on Friday. Lithia Motors has a one year low of $206.69 and a one year high of $331.96. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $282.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $283.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 1.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.76, a PEG ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.58.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 2.87% and a return on equity of 15.59%. The business had revenue of $8.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.58 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $8.44 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 22.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side 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 value of $40,208.40. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 1,662 shares in the company, valued at $495,010.08. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lithia Motors

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the third quarter worth $32,000. Denali Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 5,050.0% in the fourth quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 103 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 509.5% in the third 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 period. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new position in Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter worth $49,000. Finally, Rise Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 80.2% in the first quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 191 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 85 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.