Equities Analysts Offer Predictions for GPI Q1 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research cut its Q1 EPS estimate to $13.22 (from $13.74), following Group 1's last quarterly report where it missed EPS expectations ($8.49 vs. $9.36) and posted revenue of $5.58B versus $5.71B expected.
• Analyst sentiment is a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $453.88 (seven Buys, three Holds), while the stock trades around $326.48 with a market cap of $3.88B, a PE of 13.05, and a recently increased quarterly dividend of $0.55 (annualized $2.20, ~0.7% yield).
• Institutional ownership is extremely high (~99.92%), with notable recent stake activity from investors such as Norges Bank and Massachusetts Financial Services.

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) - Zacks Research cut their Q1 2028 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Group 1 Automotive in a report issued on Monday, April 6th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $13.22 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $13.74. The consensus estimate for Group 1 Automotive's current full-year earnings is $41.00 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Group 1 Automotive's FY2028 earnings at $51.84 EPS.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on the company. Evercore started coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $500.00 price target for the company. Barclays set a $470.00 price target on Group 1 Automotive in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Benchmark raised Group 1 Automotive from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $425.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday, March 30th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $460.00 to $400.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Bank of America started coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $453.88.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Down 0.9%

NYSE GPI opened at $326.48 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $331.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $382.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 1.08. The stock has a market cap of $3.88 billion, a PE ratio of 13.05, a PEG ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 0.88. Group 1 Automotive has a twelve month low of $292.44 and a twelve month high of $488.39.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $8.49 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $9.36 by ($0.87). The business had revenue of $5.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.71 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 17.39% and a net margin of 1.44%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $10.02 earnings per share.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd were paid a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is an increase from Group 1 Automotive's previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Group 1 Automotive's dividend payout ratio is currently 8.80%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of GPI. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 366,770.5% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 25,431,464 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,002,195,000 after purchasing an additional 25,424,532 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $98,125,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA bought a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $75,315,000. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 968.8% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 84,412 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,931,000 after purchasing an additional 76,514 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 34.8% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 226,915 shares of the company's stock valued at $99,278,000 after purchasing an additional 58,641 shares during the period. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Group 1 Automotive Company Profile

Group 1 Automotive, Inc NYSE: GPI is an international automotive retailer headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company operates an extensive network of franchised dealerships, offering new and pre-owned vehicles from leading domestic and import manufacturers. In addition to vehicle sales, Group 1 Automotive provides a full complement of aftersales services, including finance and insurance products, parts distribution, collision repair centers and vehicle maintenance.

Founded in 1997, Group 1 Automotive has grown through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to establish a presence across the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil.

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