Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Shares Purchased by Channing Capital Management LLC

Channing Capital Management LLC raised its position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 13.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 30,390 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,602 shares during the quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC owned 0.11% of Lithia Motors worth $10,007,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Lithia Motors by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,807,407 shares of the company’s stock worth $829,112,000 after buying an additional 10,649 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board increased its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 0.3% during the third quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 678,611 shares of the company’s stock worth $200,414,000 after acquiring an additional 2,200 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 10.3% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 492,273 shares of the company’s stock worth $145,383,000 after acquiring an additional 45,977 shares in the last quarter. Eventide Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 1.3% in the third quarter. Eventide Asset Management LLC now owns 247,514 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,098,000 after purchasing an additional 3,234 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kennedy Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 0.4% in the third quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 126,063 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,230,000 after purchasing an additional 455 shares during the last quarter.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Lithia Motors from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $400.00 price objective on the stock. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $375.00 price objective on shares of Lithia Motors in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Lithia Motors from $285.00 to $270.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $318.55.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

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

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:LAD traded up $2.28 during trading on Friday, hitting $253.48. 192,245 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 329,953. 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 business’s fifty day moving average is $279.52 and its 200-day moving average is $283.17. The stock has a market capitalization 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, Inc. has a one year low of $206.69 and a one year high of $331.96.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $6.11 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.85 by ($1.74). The company 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%. Lithia Motors’s quarterly revenue was up 22.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $8.44 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 32.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 24th. Investors of record on Friday, May 10th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 9th. This is an increase from Lithia Motors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.84%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.90%.

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.