JPMorgan Chase & Co. Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) Stock Price

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) had its price objective lowered by stock analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $355.00 to $350.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target suggests a potential upside of 14.84% from the company’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on LAD. Evercore upped their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $440.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $410.00 to $390.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Citigroup increased their price target on Lithia Motors from $385.00 to $399.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lithia Motors in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lithia Motors currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $389.90.

Lithia Motors Trading Down 4.9%

LAD stock traded down $15.65 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $304.77. 320,777 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 274,396. Lithia Motors has a one year low of $262.10 and a one year high of $389.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a current ratio of 1.21. The company has a market cap of $7.39 billion, a PE ratio of 8.81 and a beta of 1.20. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $334.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $320.94.

Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $6.74 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.17 by ($1.43). Lithia Motors had a return on equity of 13.42% and a net margin of 2.39%.The business had revenue of $9.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $7.79 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Lithia Motors will post 34.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Lithia Motors

In other news, Director Congdon Stacy Loretz sold 75 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $360.00, for a total value of $27,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 1,810 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $651,600. This represents a 3.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.87% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Abrams Capital Management L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Lithia Motors by 1.9% during the third quarter. Abrams Capital Management L.P. now owns 2,490,534 shares of the company’s stock worth $787,009,000 after buying an additional 45,856 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in Lithia Motors by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,346,783 shares of the company’s stock worth $447,583,000 after purchasing an additional 6,113 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its holdings in Lithia Motors by 5.9% in the 2nd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 612,377 shares of the company’s stock valued at $206,873,000 after purchasing an additional 33,966 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 479,537 shares of the company’s stock worth $162,022,000 after purchasing an additional 11,859 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Lithia Motors during the second quarter worth approximately $148,540,000.

More Lithia Motors News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong cash returns and record annual revenue — Lithia reported record full‑year revenue of $37.63B, repurchased ~$947M of stock in 2025 (11.4% of shares outstanding) and highlighted growth in used-car and aftersales revenue, which can support margins and buybacks. Lithia & Driveway Reports Fourth Quarter Results and Full Year Results
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared — the company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.55 per share (record March 6, pay March 20), adding a modest cash-return element for income-focused holders.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and coverage notes — Wells Fargo trimmed its price target slightly to $355 and kept an “equal weight” rating, reflecting cautious stance despite upside from current levels. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor resources — transcripts and analyst writeups (earnings call, valuation pieces) are available for deeper diligence on margins, used-car trends and Driveway finance performance. Assessing Lithia Motors (LAD) Valuation After Recent Share Price Pullback
• Negative Sentiment: Big EPS miss — Q4 adjusted EPS came in at $6.74, well below consensus (~$8.10), and below last year’s EPS; that shortfall is the primary reason for the intraday share decline. Lithia Motors Q4 Earnings Miss Expectations, Revenues Remain Flat Y/Y
• Negative Sentiment: New-vehicle weakness and EPS pressure — management flagged lower new-vehicle sales even as used and aftersales improved; the EPS miss plus guidance sensitivity to new‑vehicle volumes increases near‑term execution risk for investors. Lithia Motors (LAD) Q4 Earnings: How Key Metrics Compare to Wall Street Estimates

Lithia Motors Company Profile

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.