Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Invests $1.60 Million in Lithia Motors, Inc. $LAD

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp bought a new stake in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 5,066 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,601,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. M&T Bank Corp grew its stake in Lithia Motors by 2.4% in the second quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 1,488 shares of the company’s stock valued at $503,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC grew its position in Lithia Motors by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 842 shares of the company’s stock valued at $285,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Lithia Motors by 16.9% during the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 276 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. raised its holdings in Lithia Motors by 2.5% during the second quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,753 shares of the company’s stock worth $592,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 2.8% in the second quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,556 shares of the company’s stock valued at $526,000 after buying an additional 43 shares in the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Trading Down 1.1%

NYSE LAD opened at $323.38 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $332.27 and its 200-day moving average is $320.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 0.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.36 and a beta of 1.18. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a one year low of $262.10 and a one year high of $405.14.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 75 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $360.00, for a total transaction of $27,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,810 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $651,600. This represents a 3.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.87% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LAD has been the subject of several recent research reports. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $385.00 to $399.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Barclays dropped their target price on Lithia Motors from $410.00 to $390.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Evercore ISI upped their price target on Lithia Motors from $440.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Lithia Motors from $327.00 to $358.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Lithia Motors has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $390.70.

Lithia Motors Company Profile

Lithia Motors, Inc is an American automotive retailer headquartered in Medford, Oregon. Founded in 1946 as a small auto body and glass shop, the company has grown through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to become one of the largest automotive retail networks in North America. Lithia operates dealerships across the United States and Canada, offering a broad portfolio of new and pre-owned vehicles from more than 40 different manufacturers.

The company’s core business activities include vehicle sales, financing, insurance, parts and service.