denkapparat Operations GmbH Takes Position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

denkapparat Operations GmbH bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund bought 526 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $222,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 70.4% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 121 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 25.6% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 152 shares of the company’s stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at $66,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its position in Group 1 Automotive by 59.3% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 188 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Down 4.3 %

GPI stock opened at $376.32 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $442.80 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $412.94. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a twelve month low of $262.31 and a twelve month high of $490.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.98 billion, a PE ratio of 10.24 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.77 by $1.25. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 18.09%. On average, equities analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors 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%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This is an increase from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 5.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

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.