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

Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $343.00.

Several research firms have recently commented on GPI. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $310.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Bank of America cut their price objective on 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.

Insider Activity at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, VP Edward Mckissic sold 170 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $318.92, for a total value of $54,216.40. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 6,082 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,939,671.44. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Edward Mckissic sold 170 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction on Monday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $318.92, for a total value of $54,216.40. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 6,082 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,939,671.44. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.99, for a total transaction of $421,188.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 9,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,419,344.58. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Group 1 Automotive

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Arizona State Retirement System grew its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 0.9% in the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 3,832 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,139,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Group 1 Automotive by 17.1% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 267 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 2,854 shares of the company’s stock worth $848,000 after buying an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 53.7% in the 2nd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 146 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 44.3% during the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

Shares of GPI opened at $356.36 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.41, a PEG ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.26. Group 1 Automotive has a one year low of $228.84 and a one year high of $373.19. The business has a fifty day moving average of $319.28 and a 200 day moving average of $297.04.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $9.80 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.36 by $0.44. The firm had revenue of $4.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.68 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 3.03% and a return on equity of 20.53%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $11.73 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive will post 38.28 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 2nd will be paid a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.53%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.44%.

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.