Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC Has $20.96 Million Stock Holdings in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC decreased its position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 4.4% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 49,727 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,283 shares during the period. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $20,959,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Intrust Bank NA raised its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 29.6% in the 4th quarter. Intrust Bank NA now owns 1,306 shares of the company’s stock valued at $550,000 after purchasing an additional 298 shares during the period. Level Four Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 15.1% during the fourth quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,860 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,627,000 after buying an additional 507 shares in the last quarter. denkapparat Operations GmbH acquired a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $222,000. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its position in Group 1 Automotive by 9.8% in the 4th quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 1,953 shares of the company’s stock valued at $823,000 after buying an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. Finally, New Age Alpha Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter worth approximately $301,000. Institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

NYSE GPI opened at $376.32 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.24 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $442.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $413.91. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1 year low of $262.31 and a 1 year high of $490.09.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.77 by $1.25. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 18.09%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.53%. This is a boost from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GPI has been the subject of several recent research reports. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $460.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price objective for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $450.33.

Group 1 Automotive Company Profile

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.