Analysts Set Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) PT at $357.40

Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the ten analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $357.40.

Several analysts have recently issued reports on LAD shares. Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $343.00 to $346.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Stephens upped their target price on Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. StockNews.com raised Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Benchmark assumed coverage on Lithia Motors in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $400.00 price objective on the stock.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In other Lithia Motors news, CFO Tina Miller sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $392.72, for a total transaction of $392,720.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 10,403 shares in the company, valued at $4,085,466.16. This trade represents a 8.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 242 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $382.86, for a total transaction of $92,652.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 1,729 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $661,964.94. The trade was a 12.28 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 38,770 shares of company stock worth $15,103,607. 1.79% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithia Motors

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. FMR LLC raised its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 12.8% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 753,067 shares of the company’s stock valued at $239,204,000 after purchasing an additional 85,579 shares during the period. River Road Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 27.5% in the third quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 365,184 shares of the company’s stock worth $115,997,000 after buying an additional 78,784 shares in the last quarter. Tensile Capital Management LP boosted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 2.4% in the third quarter. Tensile Capital Management LP now owns 261,527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $83,071,000 after acquiring an additional 6,252 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 17.0% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 259,916 shares of the company’s stock valued at $82,560,000 after acquiring an additional 37,677 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bridges Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Lithia Motors by 43.5% during the 3rd quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 230,761 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,299,000 after acquiring an additional 69,901 shares during the period.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 1.4 %

LAD stock opened at $376.19 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $365.21 and its 200-day moving average is $327.18. Lithia Motors has a twelve month low of $243.00 and a twelve month high of $405.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.02 billion, a PE ratio of 12.84, a P/E/G ratio of 4.77 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23.

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.