Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) CFO Sells $1,325,130.00 in Stock

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $441.71, for a total transaction of $1,325,130.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 16,674 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,365,072.54. This represents a 15.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Down 2.2%

Shares of NYSE GPI traded down $9.60 during trading on Friday, hitting $424.12. The stock had a trading volume of 123,921 shares, compared to its average volume of 143,626. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 12 month low of $279.86 and a 12 month high of $490.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The company has a market capitalization of $5.49 billion, a PE ratio of 11.54 and a beta of 0.91. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $418.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $427.08.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $10.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $9.68 by $0.49. The company had revenue of $5.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.37 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 18.09%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 23.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $9.49 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.47%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 2nd. Group 1 Automotive's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Guggenheim downgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $463.00 to $495.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $454.43.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 119.4% in the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 68 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Elequin Capital LP bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 24.8% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 146 shares of the company's stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the period. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the first quarter valued at approximately $64,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $66,000. 99.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.