Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Posted by Brenda Bartman on May 16th, 2026

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD – Get Free Report) has received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $367.2222.

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on LAD shares. Citigroup upped their target price on Lithia Motors from $326.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Zacks Research upgraded Lithia Motors from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Lithia Motors from $293.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Lithia Motors from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th.

Read Our Latest Analysis on LAD

Lithia Motors Stock Down 4.8%

Shares of NYSE LAD opened at $261.67 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The business has a 50-day moving average of $267.40 and a two-hundred day moving average of $300.63. Lithia Motors has a 1 year low of $239.78 and a 1 year high of $360.55.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $7.34 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.06 by $0.28. The business had revenue of $9.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.22 billion. Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 12.49% and a net margin of 1.88%.The business’s revenue was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $7.66 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Lithia Motors will post 34.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lithia Motors Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 8th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 8th. This is an increase from Lithia Motors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Lithia Motors’s payout ratio is presently 8.01%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lithia Motors

In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 245 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.64, for a total transaction of $72,186.80. Following the sale, the director owned 1,846 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $543,905.44. The trade was a 11.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.08% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithia Motors

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. CoreCap Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Lithia Motors during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Lithia Motors during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Eastern Bank bought a new stake in Lithia Motors during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Lithia Motors by 111.4% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 93 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 75.0% in the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 105 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period.

Lithia Motors Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.