Fed Governor Adriana Kugler to resign
On Wednesday, BofA Securities expressed continued confidence in Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD), maintaining a Buy rating and a price target of $415.00. The company, currently valued at $9.8 billion, surpassed expectations in the fourth quarter of 2024, recording adjusted earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations at $7.79. This figure exceeded both BofA’s estimate of $7.20 and the Bloomberg consensus of $7.19. A portion of the earnings boost was attributed to insurance proceeds, which were slightly offset by foreign exchange (FX) effects, contributing an additional $0.17 per share. According to InvestingPro analysis, the stock appears overvalued at current levels, despite showing strong profitability with a P/E ratio of 12.5.
Despite these external factors, Lithia Motors’ operational performance was notably strong, attributed to effective execution across its business segments. The company managed to keep its selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses to 66.3% of gross profit, which is significantly lower than the roughly 69% average observed from 2011 to 2019. Another highlight was the income from the Driveway Finance Corporation (DFC), which exceeded forecasts.
The company’s new vehicle grosses performed well, presenting a slight sequential moderation, while gross profits per unit (GPUs) on used vehicles were less than expected and saw a quarter-over-quarter decline. However, new vehicle volumes were robust, aligning with a strong U.S. market that saw total industry unit sales rise by 8.0% year-over-year to 4.3 million, resulting in a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 16.6 million.
The analyst’s reiteration of the Buy rating reflects the firm’s view that Lithia Motors is well-positioned to continue its positive trajectory, supported by effective cost management and solid sales performance in both new and used vehicle segments.
In other recent news, Lithia Motors & Driveway has reported impressive Q4 earnings and revenue, surpassing analyst expectations. The auto retailer recorded adjusted earnings per share of $7.79, outperforming the projected $7.31, and revenue grew 20% YoY to $9.22 billion, exceeding the anticipated $8.99 billion. The company’s new vehicle retail sales demonstrated robustness, with same-store unit sales up 7.4% compared to the same period in the previous year.
Lithia’s aftersales business also showed positive performance, with a gross profit increase of 4.5% on a same-store basis. The company’s financing arm, Driveway Finance Corporation, originated $501 million in loans during the quarter, expanding its portfolio to $3.9 billion in average managed receivables.
For the full year, Lithia reported a record revenue of $36.2 billion, a 17% increase from the previous year. Despite this, the adjusted diluted EPS for the year fell 19% to $29.96. Among other recent developments, Lithia announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share and the acquisition of Stohlman Subaru (OTC:FUJHY), which is expected to add $80 million in annual revenue.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.