Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Position Decreased by Iridian Asset Management LLC CT

Iridian Asset Management LLC CT lessened its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 18.0% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 53,849 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,792 shares during the quarter. Lithia Motors accounts for approximately 5.1% of Iridian Asset Management LLC CT’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Iridian Asset Management LLC CT’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $19,247,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 30.5% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 167 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its position in Lithia Motors by 1.3% in the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 3,862 shares of the company’s stock valued at $975,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC raised its position in Lithia Motors by 23.9% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 249 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp raised its position in Lithia Motors by 2.6% in the third quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 1,911 shares of the company’s stock valued at $607,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the period. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in Lithia Motors by 69.9% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 0.5 %

NYSE:LAD opened at $381.18 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $10.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 1.67. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a one year low of $243.00 and a one year high of $405.67. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $364.07 and a 200 day simple moving average of $329.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 1.18.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lithia Motors news, CEO Bryan B. Deboer sold 6,742 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $400.00, for a total value of $2,696,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 174,445 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $69,778,000. This trade represents a 3.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Tina Miller sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was 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 directly owns 10,403 shares in the company, valued at $4,085,466.16. This represents a 8.77 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 38,770 shares of company stock worth $15,103,607. Corporate insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LAD has been the topic of several research reports. Guggenheim raised their price objective on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Stephens raised their price objective on Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Benchmark initiated 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. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Lithia Motors from $343.00 to $346.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Lithia Motors from $405.00 to $400.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $357.40.

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. Its Financing Operations segment provides financing to customers buying and leasing retail vehicles.