Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Reaches New 1-Year High at $379.45

Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $379.45 and last traded at $370.14, with a volume of 74601 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $376.76.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently weighed in on GPI. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Bank of America decreased their target price 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. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $310.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $343.00.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $4.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $333.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $303.81.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $9.80 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.36 by $0.44. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 20.53% and a net margin of 3.03%. The firm had revenue of $4.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.68 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $11.73 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 39.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.52%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.44%.

Insider Transactions at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.99, for a total value 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the second quarter valued at approximately $48,000. USA Financial Formulas lifted its position in Group 1 Automotive by 1,616.7% in the fourth quarter. USA Financial Formulas now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 194 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 37.4% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 213 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,000 after buying an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.