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

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $367.80.

GPI has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $360.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective 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. StockNews.com downgraded Group 1 Automotive from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday. Stephens started coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $394.00 target price for the company. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 22nd.

Insider Transactions at Group 1 Automotive

In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 9,742 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,419,344.58. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Principal Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased 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 valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $48,000. USA Financial Formulas lifted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 1,616.7% in the 4th 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 shares of Group 1 Automotive by 37.4% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 213 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

GPI stock opened at $364.39 on Tuesday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $340.13 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $307.45. The firm has a market cap of $4.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. Group 1 Automotive has a 12 month low of $228.84 and a 12 month high of $379.45.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $9.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $4.70 billion for 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, analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive will post 39.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 2nd will be given a $0.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.52%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is presently 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.