Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Shares Sold by Nisa Investment Advisors LLC

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC reduced its stake in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 79.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 236 shares of the company’s stock after selling 900 shares during the quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $75,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 83.6% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 134 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 23.9% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 249 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 12,500.0% in the 2nd quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 252 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $80,000.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 0.2 %

LAD stock opened at $368.71 on Friday. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a one year low of $243.00 and a one year high of $375.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.82 billion, a PE ratio of 12.58 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 1.18. The company has a fifty day moving average of $309.57 and a 200-day moving average of $280.34.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $8.21 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.60 by $0.61. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 12.95%. The company had revenue of $9.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.46 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $9.25 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 28.99 EPS for the current year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Investors of record on Friday, November 8th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.24%.

Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

In related news, COO Chris Holzshu sold 8,520 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $335.21, for a total value of $2,855,989.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 32,054 shares in the company, valued at $10,744,821.34. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other Lithia Motors news, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 46,129 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,417,080.94. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, COO Chris Holzshu sold 8,520 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $335.21, for a total transaction of $2,855,989.20. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 32,054 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,744,821.34. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 31,235 shares of company stock worth $9,301,973 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $299.00 to $343.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Stephens increased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Lithia Motors from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $350.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $353.80.

Lithia Motors 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.