Q1 EPS Estimates for Lithia Motors Raised by Zacks Research

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) – Zacks Research boosted their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for Lithia Motors in a note issued to investors on Monday, January 12th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will earn $8.22 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $7.96. The consensus estimate for Lithia Motors’ current full-year earnings is $34.45 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Lithia Motors’ Q2 2026 earnings at $9.80 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $10.19 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $38.19 EPS.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Lithia Motors in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Barclays began coverage on shares of Lithia Motors in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $410.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $327.00 to $358.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Lithia Motors from $440.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, November 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lithia Motors presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $392.20.

Lithia Motors Stock Down 1.9%

LAD stock opened at $332.89 on Tuesday. Lithia Motors has a fifty-two week low of $262.10 and a fifty-two week high of $405.14. 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 $8.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.64 and a beta of 1.18. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $323.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $321.57.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The company reported $9.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $8.53 by $0.97. The business had revenue of $9.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.38 billion. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 13.42% and a net margin of 2.39%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $8.21 EPS.

Lithia Motors Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 7th were paid a $0.55 dividend. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 7th. Lithia Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 6.37%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 75 shares of Lithia Motors 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 sale, the director directly owned 1,810 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $651,600. The trade was a 3.98% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.87% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lithia Motors

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Lithia Motors during the second quarter worth $148,540,000. Hennessy Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors during the 3rd quarter valued at $39,342,000. Hook Mill Capital Partners LP bought a new stake in Lithia Motors during the 3rd quarter worth $29,130,000. River Road Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Lithia Motors by 26.4% in the 2nd quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 412,516 shares of the company’s stock worth $139,356,000 after purchasing an additional 86,121 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in Lithia Motors by 57.5% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 197,417 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,691,000 after purchasing an additional 72,061 shares in the last quarter.

Key Stories Impacting Lithia Motors

Here are the key news stories impacting Lithia Motors this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple near? and medium?term EPS estimates (Q4 2025, Q4 2026, Q1–Q4 2026/2027 and FY2026–FY2027), including boosting FY2027 to $43.72, signaling stronger expected profitability ahead. Zacks Research estimate upgrades
• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark and Evercore ISI reiterated Buy ratings with high price targets ($400 and $500 respectively), reinforcing institutional buy-side support and setting higher upside anchors for the stock. Here’s What Wall Street Thinks About Lithia Motors (InsiderMonkey)
• Positive Sentiment: A Wells Fargo analyst publicly said Lithia’s stock is expected to rise, adding another external bullish voice that can support demand if investors follow. Lithia Motors Stock Price Expected to Rise (AmericanBankingNews)
• Neutral Sentiment: The Zacks upgrades are broad (many quarters and years) and may already be partly priced in; rising estimates reduce execution risk but don’t guarantee immediate share gains.
• Negative Sentiment: Shares fell today despite the analyst bullishness — trading volume was slightly below average and the stock sits well below its 12?month high, suggesting profit?taking or macro/sector headwinds (auto cycle concerns or broader market weakness) are weighing on the name.
• Negative Sentiment: Company fundamentals to monitor: Lithia carries leverage (debt/equity ~1.35) and thin quick ratio, which can amplify investor caution if credit conditions or used/new vehicle demand soften.

About Lithia Motors

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.