Group 1 Automotive, Inc. $GPI Holdings Boosted by Leeward Investments LLC MA

Key Points

• Leeward Investments increased its Group 1 Automotive stake by 7.8% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 57,283 shares valued at approximately $13.8 million. Institutional investors collectively own 99.92% of the company.
• Insider buying was also notable: major shareholder Conifer Management purchased 71,592 shares for roughly $17.3 million, while insiders acquired 720,030 shares worth $187.3 million over the past three months.
• Group 1 Automotive reported weaker-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $9.61 versus the $10.60 consensus and revenue down 5.6% year over year. Analysts have a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $341.67, compared with the stock’s $244.41 opening price.

Leeward Investments LLC MA lifted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) by 7.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 57,283 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 4,150 shares during the quarter. Leeward Investments LLC MA owned approximately 0.48% of Group 1 Automotive worth $13,773,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the second quarter valued at $42,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 112.0% during the 2nd quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 212 shares of the company's stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the 2nd quarter valued at $75,000. Group One Trading LLC bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the 2nd quarter valued at $79,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the 2nd quarter worth $81,000. Institutional investors own 99.92% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Group 1 Automotive news, major shareholder Conifer Management, L.L.C. bought 71,592 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 30th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $242.03 per share, with a total value of $17,327,411.76. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 1,912,290 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $462,831,548.70. This trade represents a 3.89% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders have acquired a total of 720,030 shares of company stock worth $187,264,264 in the last three months. 2.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GPI opened at $244.41 on Monday. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a twelve month low of $224.65 and a twelve month high of $437.22. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The company has a market capitalization of $2.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.92. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $256.04 and a 200-day simple moving average of $295.53.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $9.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $10.60 by ($0.99). Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 1.31% and a return on equity of 15.66%. The firm had revenue of $5.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.66 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $10.82 earnings per share. The business's revenue was down 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 37.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st were paid a dividend of $0.55 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Group 1 Automotive's payout ratio is presently 9.16%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on GPI. DA Davidson set a $425.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Friday, July 10th. KeyCorp set a $425.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $387.00 to $357.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Seaport Research Partners set a $420.00 price target on Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $275.00 to $260.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $341.67.

Group 1 Automotive Profile

Group 1 Automotive, Inc is an international automotive retailer headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company operates dealerships that sell new and used automobiles and light trucks from a broad range of manufacturers.

In addition to vehicle sales, Group 1 Automotive provides automotive financing and insurance products, vehicle maintenance and repair, collision services, replacement parts, and other related services. Its dealerships also market vehicles through digital retailing platforms.

Founded in 1997, Group 1 Automotive serves customers through a network of dealerships and automotive service locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

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