Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Rating Increased to Hold at StockNews.com

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Thursday.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $360.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $394.00 target price on the stock. Finally, 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. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $396.80.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE:GPI opened at $362.16 on Thursday. Group 1 Automotive has a 12-month low of $255.73 and a 12-month high of $393.93. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.32. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $365.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of $329.37.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $9.90 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.93 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $5.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.06 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.83% and a net margin of 2.68%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $12.07 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive will post 38.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Group 1 Automotive

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 transaction, the vice president now directly owns 9,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,419,344.58. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 51.9% in the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 82 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 53.7% during the second quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 146 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 2nd quarter valued at about $48,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 47.5% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 270 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.