Brokers Offer Predictions for Lithia Motors, Inc.’s Q4 2024 Earnings (NYSE:LAD)

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research cut their Q4 2024 earnings per share estimates for Lithia Motors in a report released on Wednesday, May 8th. Zacks Research analyst R. Singhi now expects that the company will post earnings of $7.81 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $8.43. The consensus estimate for Lithia Motors’ current full-year earnings is $32.24 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Lithia Motors’ Q2 2025 earnings at $12.12 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $12.41 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $12.49 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $14.09 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $57.85 EPS.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $6.11 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.85 by ($1.74). Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 15.62% and a net margin of 2.87%. The company had revenue of $8.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $8.44 EPS. Lithia Motors’s quarterly revenue was up 22.7% compared to the same quarter last year.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. Craig Hallum dropped their price objective on shares of Lithia Motors from $350.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Citigroup reduced their target price on Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $280.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Lithia Motors from $290.00 to $248.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $334.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Lithia Motors has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $318.55.

Lithia Motors Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of NYSE LAD opened at $264.12 on Friday. Lithia Motors has a 52-week low of $207.08 and a 52-week high of $331.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 1.17. The business has a fifty day moving average of $277.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $282.91. The stock has a market cap of $7.24 billion, a PE ratio of 7.80, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.59.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Denali Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 5,050.0% in the 4th quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 103 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new position in Lithia Motors in the third quarter valued at about $32,000. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 509.5% in the third quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors during the fourth quarter worth about $49,000. Finally, Rise Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 80.2% during the first quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 191 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 135 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.84, for a total value of $40,208.40. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,662 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $495,010.08. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.79% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 10th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 9th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.80%. This is an increase from Lithia Motors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Lithia Motors’s payout ratio is presently 5.90%.

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.