Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Sees Large Volume Increase – Time to Buy?

Shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) saw strong trading volume on Thursday . 543,587 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 52% from the previous session’s volume of 356,914 shares.The stock last traded at $343.54 and had previously closed at $345.48.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on LAD. Guggenheim increased their target price on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Stephens upped their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $360.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Benchmark began coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $400.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Lithia Motors from $405.00 to $400.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded Lithia Motors from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and upped their target price for the company from $225.00 to $310.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $357.40.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

The business’s 50-day moving average price is $366.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $322.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. The company has a market capitalization of $9.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.95 and a beta of 1.67.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $8.21 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.60 by $0.61. The business had revenue of $9.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.46 billion. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 12.95% and a net margin of 2.31%. The firm’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $9.25 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 29.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Lithia Motors

In related news, CFO Tina Miller sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $392.72, for a total transaction of $392,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,403 shares in the company, valued at $4,085,466.16. This represents a 8.77 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Bryan B. Deboer sold 6,742 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $400.00, for a total value of $2,696,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 174,445 shares in the company, valued at $69,778,000. This trade represents a 3.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 38,770 shares of company stock valued at $15,103,607 over the last 90 days. 1.79% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Lithia Motors

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of LAD. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in Lithia Motors in the third quarter worth about $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 69.9% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 124 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 30.5% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 167 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 49.3% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 200 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 23.9% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 249 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter.

About Lithia Motors

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. Its Financing Operations segment provides financing to customers buying and leasing retail vehicles.