Channing Capital Management LLC Purchases 3,602 Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Channing Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 13.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 30,390 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,602 shares during the period. Channing Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Lithia Motors were worth $10,007,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. FourThought Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in Lithia Motors by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. FourThought Financial Partners LLC now owns 1,609 shares of the company’s stock valued at $530,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the period. Sapient Capital LLC bought a new stake in Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter valued at about $459,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. raised its position in Lithia Motors by 5,785.7% in the fourth quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 412 shares of the company’s stock worth $135,000 after purchasing an additional 405 shares in the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank lifted its stake in Lithia Motors by 16.8% during the fourth quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 20,759 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,836,000 after purchasing an additional 2,992 shares during the period. Finally, New York Life Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 6.7% during the fourth quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 3,062 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,008,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares in the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Trading Up 0.9 %

LAD stock traded up $2.28 during trading on Friday, hitting $253.48. The company had a trading volume of 192,245 shares, compared to its average volume of 329,953. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $279.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $283.17. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 12 month low of $206.69 and a 12 month high of $331.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The stock has a market cap of $6.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.48, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.59.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $6.11 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.85 by ($1.74). The firm had revenue of $8.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.58 billion. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 15.62% and a net margin of 2.87%. The company’s revenue was up 22.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $8.44 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 32.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 10th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This is a boost from Lithia Motors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 9th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.84%. Lithia Motors’s payout ratio is currently 5.90%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lithia Motors news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 138 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $254.42, for a total value of $35,109.96. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $566,847.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.79% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on LAD shares. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $375.00 target price on shares of Lithia Motors in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. StockNews.com raised Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $290.00 to $248.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $334.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $318.55.

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.