This module uses fundamental data of Lithia Motors to approximate the value of its Beneish M Score. Lithia Motors M Score tells investors if the company management is likely to be manipulating earnings. The score is calculated using eight financial indicators that are adjusted by a specific multiplier. Please note, the M Score is a probabilistic model and cannot detect companies that manipulate their earnings with 100% accuracy. Check out Lithia Motors Piotroski F Score and Lithia Motors Altman Z Score analysis.
At present, Lithia Motors' Net Debt is projected to increase significantly based on the last few years of reporting. The current year's Short Term Debt is expected to grow to about 5.3 B, whereas Debt To Equity is forecasted to decline to 1.11. At present, Lithia Motors' Free Cash Flow Yield is projected to increase slightly based on the last few years of reporting. The current year's Operating Cash Flow Per Share is expected to grow to 16.91, whereas Dividend Yield is forecasted to decline to 0.01.
At this time, it appears that Lithia Motors is a possible manipulator. The earnings manipulation may begin if Lithia Motors' top management creates an artificial sense of financial success, forcing the stock price to be traded at a high price-earnings multiple than it should be. In general, excessive earnings management by Lithia Motors executives may lead to removing some of the operating profits from subsequent periods to inflate earnings in the following periods. This way, the manipulation of Lithia Motors' earnings can lead to misrepresentations of actual financial condition, taking the otherwise loyal stakeholders on to the path of questionable ethical practices and plain fraud.
The cure to earnings manipulation is the transparency of financial reporting. It will typically remove the temptation of the top executives to inflate earnings (i.e., to promote the idea of 'winning at any cost'). Because a healthy internal audit department can enhance transparency, the board should promote the auditors' access to all the record-keeping systems across the enterprise. For example, if Lithia Motors' auditors report directly to the board (not management), the managers will be reluctant to manipulate simply due to the fear of punishment. On the other hand, the auditors will be free to investigate the ledgers properly because they know that the board has their back.
One of the toughest challenges investors face today is learning how to quickly synthesize historical financial statements and information provided by the company, SEC reporting, and various external parties in order to detect the potential manipulation of earnings. Understanding the correlation between Lithia Motors' different financial indicators related to revenue, expenses, operating profit, and net earnings helps investors identify and prioritize their investing strategies towards Lithia Motors in a much-optimized way. Analyzing correlations between earnings drivers directly associated with dollar figures is the most effective way to find Lithia Motors' degree of accounting gimmicks and manipulations.
M-Score is one of many grading techniques for value stocks. It was developed by Professor M. Daniel Beneish of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and published in 1999 under the paper titled The Detection of Earnings Manipulation. The Beneish score is a multi-factor model that utilizes financial identifiers to compile eight variables used to classify whether a company has manipulated its reported earnings. The variables are built from the officially filed financial statements to create a final score call 'M Score.' The score helps to identify companies that are likely to manipulate their profits if they show deteriorating gross margins, operating expenses, and leverage against growing revenue.
Other Operating Expenses
36.34 Billion
At present, Lithia Motors' Other Operating Expenses is projected to increase significantly based on the last few years of reporting.
Lithia Motors Earnings Manipulation Drivers
Although earnings manipulation is typically not the result of intentional misconduct by the c-level executives, it is still a widespread practice by the senior management of public companies such as Lithia Motors. It is usually done by a series of misrepresentations of various accounting rules and operating activities across multiple financial cycles. The best way to spot the manipulation is to examine the historical financial statement to find inconsistencies in earning reports to find trends in assets or liabilities that are not sustainable in the future.
Some studies have found that companies with high sustainability scores are getting higher valuations than competitors with lower social-engagement activities. While most ESG disclosures are voluntary and do not directly affect the long term financial condition, Lithia Motors' sustainability indicators can be used to identify proper investment strategies using environmental, social, and governance scores that are crucial to Lithia Motors' managers, analysts, and investors.
Environmental
Governance
Social
About Lithia Motors Fundamental Analysis
The Macroaxis Fundamental Analysis modules help investors analyze Lithia Motors's financials across various querterly and yearly statements, indicators and fundamental ratios. We help investors to determine the real value of Lithia Motors using virtually all public information available. We use both quantitative as well as qualitative analysis to arrive at the intrinsic value of Lithia Motors based on its fundamental data. In general, a quantitative approach, as applied to this company, focuses on analyzing financial statements comparatively, whereas a qaualitative method uses data that is important to a company's growth but cannot be measured and presented in a numerical way.
Analyzing currently trending equities could be an opportunity to develop a better portfolio based on different market momentums that they can trigger. Utilizing the top trending stocks is also useful when creating a market-neutral strategy or pair trading technique involving a short or a long position in a currently trending equity.
When determining whether Lithia Motors is a strong investment it is important to analyze Lithia Motors' competitive position within its industry, examining market share, product or service uniqueness, and competitive advantages. Beyond financials and market position, potential investors should also consider broader economic conditions, industry trends, and any regulatory or geopolitical factors that may impact Lithia Motors' future performance. For an informed investment choice regarding Lithia Stock, refer to the following important reports:
For information on how to trade Lithia Stock refer to our How to Trade Lithia Stock guide.You can also try the Price Exposure Probability module to analyze equity upside and downside potential for a given time horizon across multiple markets.
Is Automotive Retail space expected to grow? Or is there an opportunity to expand the business' product line in the future? Factors like these will boost the valuation of Lithia Motors. If investors know Lithia will grow in the future, the company's valuation will be higher. The financial industry is built on trying to define current growth potential and future valuation accurately. All the valuation information about Lithia Motors listed above have to be considered, but the key to understanding future value is determining which factors weigh more heavily than others.
Quarterly Earnings Growth
0.051
Dividend Share
2.12
Earnings Share
29.65
Revenue Per Share
1.3 K
Quarterly Revenue Growth
0.195
The market value of Lithia Motors is measured differently than its book value, which is the value of Lithia that is recorded on the company's balance sheet. Investors also form their own opinion of Lithia Motors' value that differs from its market value or its book value, called intrinsic value, which is Lithia Motors' true underlying value. Investors use various methods to calculate intrinsic value and buy a stock when its market value falls below its intrinsic value. Because Lithia Motors' market value can be influenced by many factors that don't directly affect Lithia Motors' underlying business (such as a pandemic or basic market pessimism), market value can vary widely from intrinsic value.
Please note, there is a significant difference between Lithia Motors' value and its price as these two are different measures arrived at by different means. Investors typically determine if Lithia Motors is a good investment by looking at such factors as earnings, sales, fundamental and technical indicators, competition as well as analyst projections. However, Lithia Motors' price is the amount at which it trades on the open market and represents the number that a seller and buyer find agreeable to each party.