Long Focus Capital Management LLC Makes New $3.52 Million Investment in Lithia Motors, Inc. $LAD

Long Focus Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 11,149 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,523,000.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of LAD. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its stake in Lithia Motors by 16.4% during the 3rd quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 1,494 shares of the company’s stock worth $472,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in Lithia Motors by 15.6% in the third quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 13,275 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,195,000 after buying an additional 1,788 shares in the last quarter. Mirabella Financial Services LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 141.5% in the third quarter. Mirabella Financial Services LLP now owns 4,639 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,463,000 after buying an additional 2,718 shares during the period. LRT Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 18.3% in the third quarter. LRT Capital Management LLC now owns 3,825 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,209,000 after buying an additional 593 shares during the period. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 28.2% during the third quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 49,576 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,666,000 after acquiring an additional 10,906 shares in the last quarter.

Lithia Motors Stock Performance

LAD opened at $252.49 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $306.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $316.74. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 52-week low of $250.99 and a 52-week high of $360.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 1.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.90 billion, a PE ratio of 7.86, a PEG ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 1.21.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $6.74 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.09 by ($1.35). The company had revenue of $9.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.19 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.18% and a return on equity of 12.76%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $7.79 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Lithia Motors, Inc. will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 20th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.85%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on LAD. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Lithia Motors from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Barclays lowered their target price on Lithia Motors from $390.00 to $380.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Bank of America began coverage on Lithia Motors in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Lithia Motors from $358.00 to $355.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on Lithia Motors from $399.00 to $366.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $382.33.

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.