Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Lifted to “Hold” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on GPI. Stephens started coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $394.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised Group 1 Automotive from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $285.00 to $430.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. Bank of America reduced their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $360.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $396.80.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE GPI opened at $348.78 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $365.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $326.25. The company has a market capitalization of $4.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.32. Group 1 Automotive has a 1 year low of $228.84 and a 1 year high of $393.93. 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 results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $9.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 the consensus estimate of $4.68 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $11.73 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive will post 39.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Investors of record on Monday, September 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.54%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is currently 4.44%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Group 1 Automotive

In other news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of the business’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 owns 9,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,419,344.58. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Arizona State Retirement System increased its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 0.9% during the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 3,832 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,139,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased 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 period. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC lifted 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 valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the period. Finally, Evergreen Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 7.9% in the second quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 1,040 shares of the company’s stock valued at $309,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.