Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Stock Holdings Cut by River Road Asset Management LLC

River Road Asset Management LLC lessened its position in Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) by 10.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 326,606 shares of the company’s stock after selling 38,578 shares during the period. Lithia Motors makes up 1.6% of River Road Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 13th largest position. River Road Asset Management LLC owned about 1.23% of Lithia Motors worth $116,739,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of LAD. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC bought a new stake in Lithia Motors in the fourth quarter worth about $46,505,000. Verition Fund Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 1,960.2% in the 3rd quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 126,909 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,311,000 after purchasing an additional 120,749 shares in the last quarter. HITE Hedge Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 5,233.4% in the 3rd quarter. HITE Hedge Asset Management LLC now owns 107,629 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,187,000 after purchasing an additional 105,611 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its stake in Lithia Motors by 12.8% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 753,067 shares of the company’s stock valued at $239,204,000 after purchasing an additional 85,579 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Lithia Motors during the third quarter worth approximately $26,071,000.

Lithia Motors Price Performance

NYSE LAD opened at $293.90 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $355.30 and a 200-day simple moving average of $341.92. Lithia Motors, Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.00 and a 52-week high of $405.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.28.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $7.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.33 by $0.46. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.21% and a return on equity of 12.43%. Equities research analysts predict 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 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. Lithia Motors’s payout ratio is currently 7.14%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Evercore ISI upped their price target on Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 target price on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Guggenheim increased their price target on Lithia Motors from $380.00 to $418.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. StockNews.com upgraded Lithia Motors from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $346.00 to $397.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $371.36.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In other Lithia Motors news, COO Adam Chamberlain sold 403 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.28, for a total value of $154,864.84. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 2,605 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,001,049.40. The trade was a 13.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Gary M. Glandon sold 325 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $387.86, for a total transaction of $126,054.50. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,665 shares in the company, valued at approximately $645,786.90. This trade represents a 16.33 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.79% of the company’s stock.

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.