Inspire Investing LLC Sells 286 Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Inspire Investing LLC lowered its position in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 5.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,927 shares of the company’s stock after selling 286 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $1,565,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 24.6% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 49,797 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,397,000 after buying an additional 9,818 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 132.9% during the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 19,138 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,758,000 after purchasing an additional 10,920 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Lithia Motors during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $607,000. Comerica Bank increased its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 89.0% during the first quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 29,473 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,867,000 after purchasing an additional 13,875 shares during the period. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 11.2% in the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 203,062 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,318,000 after buying an additional 20,416 shares in the last quarter.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have commented on LAD shares. StockNews.com lowered Lithia Motors from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Citigroup raised their price target on Lithia Motors from $280.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, September 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $360.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Guggenheim raised shares of Lithia Motors from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $338.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, August 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $338.00.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LAD opened at $305.45 on Monday. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a one year low of $231.36 and a one year high of $331.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.30. The company has a market cap of $8.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.02, a PEG ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.64. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $292.93 and a 200 day simple moving average of $272.95.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $7.87 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.09 by $0.78. The company had revenue of $9.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.29 billion. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 13.84% and a net margin of 2.52%. Lithia Motors’s revenue was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $10.91 EPS. Research analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 28.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.26%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.86, for a total transaction of $3,472,286.68. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 46,129 shares in the company, valued at $13,417,080.94. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Lithia Motors news, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.86, for a total value of $3,472,286.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 46,129 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,417,080.94. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 306 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction on Friday, August 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $289.65, for a total transaction of $88,632.90. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,922 shares in the company, valued at approximately $556,707.30. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 23,021 shares of company stock valued at $6,534,617 over the last quarter. 1.79% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Lithia Motors

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.