Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.44 EPS

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $9.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.36 by $0.44, Yahoo Finance reports. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 3.23% and a return on equity of 22.45%. The company had revenue of $4.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.68 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $11.73 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

Group 1 Automotive stock traded up $11.44 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $337.15. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 219,500 shares, compared to its average volume of 135,400. The firm has a market cap of $4.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.82, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.35. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $303.34 and a 200-day moving average price of $286.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. Group 1 Automotive has a twelve month low of $228.84 and a twelve month high of $338.00.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 3rd were issued a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is presently 4.44%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Guggenheim raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $305.00 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $315.00 to $310.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $329.17.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,400 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $294.63, for a total value of $412,482.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 11,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,398,557.05. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, VP Edward Mckissic sold 170 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $318.92, for a total transaction of $54,216.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 6,082 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,939,671.44. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $294.63, for a total transaction of $412,482.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 11,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,398,557.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 4,007 shares of company stock valued at $1,221,218 over the last 90 days. 1.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.