Lithia Motors Q1 Earnings Forecast Lowered by Zacks Research

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q1 2028 earnings estimates for Lithia Motors in a research note issued on Wednesday, November 4th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will earn $10.54 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $11.92. The consensus estimate for Lithia Motors’ current full-year earnings is $35.83 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Lithia Motors’ Q2 2028 earnings at $10.91 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $11.09 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $44.87 EPS.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 21st. The company reported $10.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.70 by $0.64. The business had revenue of $9.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.75 billion. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.06% and a return on equity of 12.05%. The business’s revenue was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $9.50 EPS.

LAD has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Barclays reduced their price target on Lithia Motors from $375.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Lithia Motors from $335.00 to $305.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Benchmark lifted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $400.00 to $475.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Lithia Motors from $358.00 to $310.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $490.00 target price on shares of Lithia Motors in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $393.80.

Lithia Motors Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of LAD opened at $310.29 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. Lithia Motors has a 12 month low of $239.78 and a 12 month high of $439.49. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $315.06 and its 200-day moving average is $307.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.82 billion, a PE ratio of 8.93, a P/E/G ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.30.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithia Motors

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Addison Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Lithia Motors in the second quarter valued at $30,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Lithia Motors during the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 1,311.1% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 127 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 118 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 68.0% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 32.1% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the period.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Stacy Congdon sold 75 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $370.73, for a total transaction of $27,804.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 2,300 shares in the company, valued at $852,679. This represents a 3.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 1.08% of the company’s stock.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.75 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 6th. This is a boost from Lithia Motors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.70. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio is currently 8.06%.

About Lithia Motors

Lithia Motors, Inc is an automotive retailer that sells new and pre-owned vehicles through a network of franchised dealerships. Its dealerships represent a range of vehicle manufacturers and also offer related products and services, including parts, maintenance and repairs, and vehicle financing and insurance options.

The company traces its roots to a single dealership established in Ashland, Oregon, in 1946. It has since expanded its retail operations across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.