Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Shares Sold by Woodson Capital Management LP

Woodson Capital Management LP decreased its holdings in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) by 11.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 68,000 shares of the company's stock after selling 9,000 shares during the quarter. Group 1 Automotive comprises about 4.7% of Woodson Capital Management LP's portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest position. Woodson Capital Management LP owned approximately 0.51% of Group 1 Automotive worth $28,661,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Shellback Capital LP boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 15.0% in the 4th quarter. Shellback Capital LP now owns 92,025 shares of the company's stock worth $38,787,000 after purchasing an additional 12,025 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 44.5% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 3,986 shares of the company's stock worth $1,680,000 after purchasing an additional 1,227 shares in the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 1,193 shares of the company's stock worth $503,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC purchased a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter worth $499,000. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 7,539 shares of the company's stock worth $3,178,000 after acquiring an additional 296 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $405.57, for a total transaction of $654,184.41. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 8,260 shares in the company, valued at $3,350,008.20. This trade represents a 16.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

NYSE GPI opened at $440.68 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $404.50 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $424.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.99 and a beta of 0.94. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $279.86 and a fifty-two week high of $490.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 1.03.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $10.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $9.68 by $0.49. The business had revenue of $5.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.37 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.09% and a net margin of 2.47%. The company's revenue was up 23.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $9.49 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 earnings per share for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.45%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 2nd. Group 1 Automotive's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GPI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup raised their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $463.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Guggenheim lowered Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Stephens restated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $460.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $454.43.

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.

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