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

Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the five ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $329.17.

Several research firms have weighed in on GPI. Bank of America lowered 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 note on Monday, July 22nd. Guggenheim upgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $305.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $315.00 to $310.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 2nd.

Insider Activity at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 11,535 shares in the company, valued at $3,398,557.05. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 2,437 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $309.61, for a total transaction of $754,519.57. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 22,430 shares in the company, valued at $6,944,552.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 11,535 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,398,557.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 4,007 shares of company stock worth $1,221,218 over the last 90 days. 1.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC bought a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter worth about $2,203,000. Hennessy Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 14.0% during the first quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 91,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,856,000 after acquiring an additional 11,300 shares in the last quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd bought a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the first quarter worth about $887,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 21.6% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 30,845 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,400,000 after acquiring an additional 5,472 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 2,927 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

Group 1 Automotive stock opened at $333.22 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The company has a market capitalization of $4.51 billion, a PE ratio of 7.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.35. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $304.10 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $287.44. Group 1 Automotive has a twelve month low of $228.84 and a twelve month high of $341.32.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $9.80 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.36 by $0.44. The business had revenue of $4.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.68 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 3.03% and a return on equity of 20.53%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $11.73 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive will post 38.28 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 17th. Investors of record on Monday, June 3rd were given a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is currently 4.44%.

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.