CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC Lowers Stock Position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lessened its position in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 13.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 44,412 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,622 shares during the quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC owned approximately 0.17% of Lithia Motors worth $15,502,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 17.0% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 259,916 shares of the company’s stock valued at $82,560,000 after purchasing an additional 37,677 shares in the last quarter. Madison Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter worth approximately $91,190,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 208,253 shares of the company’s stock valued at $74,436,000 after buying an additional 2,108 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 497.7% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 3,676 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,314,000 after acquiring an additional 3,061 shares during the period. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Lithia Motors by 1,073.7% in the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,770 shares of the company’s stock worth $990,000 after acquiring an additional 2,534 shares in the last quarter.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 325 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $387.86, for a total value of $126,054.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 1,665 shares in the company, valued at approximately $645,786.90. This trade represents a 16.33 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 248 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.84, for a total value of $72,128.32. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,297 shares in the company, valued at $377,219.48. This trade represents a 16.05 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 1,246 shares of company stock valued at $433,724. 0.87% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

Shares of LAD stock opened at $293.24 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.28. The company has a market capitalization of $7.71 billion, a PE ratio of 9.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.69. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $339.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $343.49. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.00 and a 12 month high of $405.68.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $7.79 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.33 by $0.46. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.21% and a return on equity of 12.43%. Analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 7th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 7th. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.14%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LAD has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Lithia Motors from $420.00 to $360.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and issued a $400.00 target price on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. StockNews.com raised Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $346.00 to $397.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $365.91.

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.