FineMark National Bank & Trust Takes Position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

FineMark National Bank & Trust acquired a new position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 2,005 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $660,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Denali Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 5,050.0% during the fourth quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 103 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter valued at $49,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 52.0% in the 3rd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 380 shares of the company’s stock valued at $112,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the period. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. raised its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 5,785.7% in the 4th quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 412 shares of the company’s stock worth $135,000 after acquiring an additional 405 shares in the last quarter.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In other news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 138 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $254.42, for a total value of $35,109.96. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 2,228 shares in the company, valued at $566,847.76. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 1.79% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on LAD. StockNews.com raised Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Craig Hallum decreased their price target on Lithia Motors from $350.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $334.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Lithia Motors from $290.00 to $248.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $318.55.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LAD traded up $2.17 during trading on Friday, reaching $256.34. 202,078 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 244,132. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $229.71 and a fifty-two week high of $331.96. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $271.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $284.25. The firm has a market cap of $7.03 billion, a PE ratio of 7.57, a P/E/G ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 1.59.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $6.11 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.85 by ($1.74). The business had revenue of $8.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.58 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.87% and a return on equity of 15.62%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $8.44 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 28.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 10th were given a $0.53 dividend. This is a positive change from Lithia Motors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 9th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.83%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.26%.

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.