Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $397.80.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Stephens started coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $394.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Bank of America reduced their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Morgan Stanley raised Group 1 Automotive from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $285.00 to $430.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Group 1 Automotive from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 31st.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Shares of GPI opened at $375.83 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.33. Group 1 Automotive has a fifty-two week low of $255.73 and a fifty-two week high of $393.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.26. The business’s 50-day moving average is $365.37 and its 200-day moving average is $332.41.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $9.90 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.87 by $0.03. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.83% and a net margin of 2.68%. The firm had revenue of $5.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $12.07 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive will post 38.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 2nd were paid a $0.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.50%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.01%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.99, for a total value of $421,188.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 9,742 shares in the company, valued at $3,419,344.58. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Group 1 Automotive

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 5.6% during the first quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,808 shares of the company’s stock worth $528,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 15.2% during the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 22,236 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,498,000 after purchasing an additional 2,927 shares in the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the first quarter worth $475,000. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 54.2% during the first quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 1,204 shares of the company’s stock worth $352,000 after purchasing an additional 423 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 648.4% during the first quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 6,571 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,920,000 after purchasing an additional 5,693 shares in the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Group 1 Automotive

Group 1 Automotive, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates in the automotive retail industry in the United States and the United Kingdom. The company sells new and used cars, light trucks, and vehicle parts, as well as service and insurance contracts; arranges related vehicle financing; and offers automotive maintenance and repair services.