Is Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD) Potentially Undervalued?

Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE:LAD), is not the largest company out there, but it saw a decent share price growth of 14% on the NYSE over the last few months. The recent rally in share prices has nudged the company in the right direction, though it still falls short of its yearly peak. With many analysts covering the mid-cap stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stock’s share price. However, what if the stock is still a bargain? Today we will analyse the most recent data on Lithia Motors’s outlook and valuation to see if the opportunity still exists.

View our latest analysis for Lithia Motors

Is Lithia Motors Still Cheap?

The stock seems fairly valued at the moment according to our valuation model. It’s trading around 5.1% below our intrinsic value, which means if you buy Lithia Motors today, you’d be paying a fair price for it. And if you believe that the stock is really worth $290.74, then there’s not much of an upside to gain from mispricing. Is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Since Lithia Motors’s share price is quite volatile, we could potentially see it sink lower (or rise higher) in the future, giving us another chance to buy. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market.

Can we expect growth from Lithia Motors?

Future outlook is an important aspect when you’re looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so let’s also take a look at the company's future expectations. Lithia Motors' earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 42%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? LAD’s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we haven’t considered today, such as the financial strength of the company. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below its fair value?

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping tabs on LAD, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for the company, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing Lithia Motors at this point in time. Be aware that Lithia Motors is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis and 1 of those shouldn't be ignored...

If you are no longer interested in Lithia Motors, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.