Brokerages Set Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) PT at $390.70

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eleven analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eight have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $390.70.

Several brokerages have issued reports on LAD. Evercore increased their price target on Lithia Motors from $440.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $327.00 to $358.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 75 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $360.00, for a total value of $27,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 1,810 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $651,600. This represents a 3.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.87% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CoreCap Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 114.6% in the second quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 88 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 1,383.3% during the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 89 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Eastern Bank bought a new stake in Lithia Motors during the third quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Lithia Motors during the third quarter worth $31,000.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

Lithia Motors stock opened at $344.75 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.98 and a beta of 1.20. Lithia Motors has a 52-week low of $262.10 and a 52-week high of $405.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a current ratio of 1.21. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $334.13 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $320.68.

About Lithia Motors

Lithia Motors, Inc is an American automotive retailer headquartered in Medford, Oregon. Founded in 1946 as a small auto body and glass shop, the company has grown through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to become one of the largest automotive retail networks in North America. Lithia operates dealerships across the United States and Canada, offering a broad portfolio of new and pre-owned vehicles from more than 40 different manufacturers.

The company’s core business activities include vehicle sales, financing, insurance, parts and service.