Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Downgraded by StockNews.com to “Sell”

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) was downgraded by StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report issued on Thursday.

LAD has been the topic of a number of other reports. Guggenheim decreased their price target on Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $297.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Bank of America lifted their price target on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on Lithia Motors in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $400.00 price target on the stock. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $375.00 price target on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Lithia Motors from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $334.60.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LAD traded down $0.80 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $260.14. 449,156 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 205,873. The company has a market capitalization of $7.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. Lithia Motors has a 52-week low of $205.97 and a 52-week high of $331.96. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $287.78 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $284.28.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 14th. The company reported $8.24 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.11 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $7.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.95 billion. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 17.33% and a net margin of 3.22%. Lithia Motors’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $9.05 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Lithia Motors will post 35.35 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 135 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.84, for a total transaction of $40,208.40. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 1,662 shares in the company, valued at $495,010.08. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.79% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. FourThought Financial Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. FourThought Financial Partners LLC now owns 1,609 shares of the company’s stock valued at $530,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Xponance Inc. boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 3,492 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,150,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,278 shares of the company’s stock worth $262,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 35.2% in the second quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 196 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 32.0% in the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 231 shares of the company’s stock worth $68,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares in the last quarter.

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.