Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Downgraded by StockNews.com to “Sell”

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) was downgraded by StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report issued on Friday.

GPI has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $394.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $360.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $285.00 to $430.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $396.80.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Up 1.3 %

Shares of GPI opened at $368.71 on Friday. Group 1 Automotive has a 1-year low of $228.84 and a 1-year high of $393.93. The company has a 50-day moving average of $361.99 and a 200 day moving average of $319.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.70, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.32. 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 (NYSE:GPI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $9.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.36 by $0.44. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 3.03% and a return on equity of 20.53%. The company had revenue of $4.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.68 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $11.73 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive will post 39.18 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Group 1 Automotive

In other news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.99, for a total value of $421,188.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 9,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,419,344.58. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Arizona State Retirement System grew its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 3,832 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,139,000 after buying an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Group 1 Automotive by 17.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 267 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC grew its position in Group 1 Automotive by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 2,854 shares of the company’s stock worth $848,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Group 1 Automotive by 53.7% during the 2nd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 146 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Evergreen Capital Management LLC grew its position in Group 1 Automotive by 7.9% during the 2nd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 1,040 shares of the company’s stock worth $309,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

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.