Koss Olinger Consulting LLC Makes New Investment in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD)

Koss Olinger Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 3,755 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $948,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Lithia Motors by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,823,369 shares of the company’s stock valued at $929,679,000 after acquiring an additional 15,962 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board grew its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 7.2% in the first quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 727,849 shares of the company’s stock valued at $218,981,000 after purchasing an additional 48,938 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter worth approximately $123,976,000. Cadian Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter worth approximately $105,370,000. Finally, Eventide Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Lithia Motors by 8.2% in the 4th quarter. Eventide Asset Management LLC now owns 267,877 shares of the company’s stock valued at $88,207,000 after buying an additional 20,363 shares during the period.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lithia Motors news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 306 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction on Friday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $289.65, for a total value of $88,632.90. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,922 shares in the company, valued at $556,707.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other Lithia Motors news, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.86, for a total transaction of $3,472,286.68. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 46,129 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,417,080.94. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 306 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $289.65, for a total value of $88,632.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,922 shares in the company, valued at approximately $556,707.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.79% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

Shares of LAD stock opened at $275.94 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $274.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $271.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a current ratio of 1.19. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 1 year low of $231.36 and a 1 year high of $331.96. The firm has a market cap of $7.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.15, a PEG ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.64.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $7.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.09 by $0.78. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 13.84% and a net margin of 2.52%. The firm had revenue of $9.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.29 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $10.91 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 28.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, August 9th were given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.77%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.26%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LAD has been the topic of several analyst reports. Guggenheim upgraded Lithia Motors from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $338.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $266.00 to $302.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $280.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Bank of America increased their target price on Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Lithia Motors has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $321.50.

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.