Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Sells 30,431 Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group Inc. significantly reduced its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 98.2%, selling 30,431 shares down to just 569 shares, valued at $217,000.
• Several institutional investors have increased their holdings, with Bessemer Group Inc. lifting its position by 119.4%, now owning 68 shares valued at $29,000.
• Group 1 Automotive recently posted $11.52 earnings per share, exceeding analysts' expectations, and reported a revenue of $5.70 billion for the quarter.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lessened its position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) by 98.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 569 shares of the company's stock after selling 30,431 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $217,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPI. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 119.4% in the 4th quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 68 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 24.8% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 146 shares of the company's stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the first quarter worth $87,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Group 1 Automotive by 95.9% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 237 shares of the company's stock worth $91,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the period. Finally, Archer Investment Corp acquired a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the first quarter worth $138,000. Institutional investors own 99.92% of the company's stock.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GPI traded up $5.92 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $421.19. The company's stock had a trading volume of 119,902 shares, compared to its average volume of 184,501. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $435.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $429.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The company has a market capitalization of $5.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.61, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.83. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $336.33 and a fifty-two week high of $490.09.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $11.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $10.31 by $1.21. The firm had revenue of $5.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.65 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.10% and a net margin of 2.18%. The company's revenue was up 21.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $9.82 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 2nd were paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Group 1 Automotive's payout ratio is presently 5.51%.

Insider Activity at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, Director Steven Mizell sold 525 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $417.98, for a total transaction of $219,439.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,343.84. This trade represents a 98.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $441.71, for a total transaction of $1,325,130.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 27th. Benchmark started coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Tuesday, June 24th. They issued a "hold" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $415.00 to $425.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $510.00 to $565.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 16th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $463.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $471.57.

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.