Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Announces Earnings Results

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $6.11 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.85 by ($1.74), Briefing.com reports. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 3.22% and a return on equity of 17.33%. The company had revenue of $8.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $8.44 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.7% compared to the same quarter last year.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

LAD stock traded up $4.78 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $253.12. 311,171 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 215,399. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.97 billion, a PE ratio of 6.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.58. Lithia Motors has a 52 week low of $206.69 and a 52 week high of $331.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 0.45. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $284.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $283.85.

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 dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 9th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.84%. This is a positive change from Lithia Motors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Lithia Motors’s payout ratio is currently 5.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 135 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 owns 1,662 shares in the company, valued at approximately $495,010.08. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.79% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $375.00 target price on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Lithia Motors from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 29th. Guggenheim dropped their price target on Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $297.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 17th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $334.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $327.90.

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.