LSV Asset Management Sells 22,950 Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Key Points

• LSV Asset Management has reduced its stake in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. by 14.8%, holding 131,912 shares worth approximately $50.4 million after selling 22,950 shares.
• In related news, CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 3,000 shares of the company's stock, representing a 15.25% decrease in his ownership, while Director Steven Mizell sold 525 shares, decreasing his position by 98.50%.
• Group 1 Automotive reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $11.52 for the last quarter, surpassing estimates and indicating a 21.4% year-over-year revenue increase.

LSV Asset Management lowered its stake in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) by 14.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 131,912 shares of the company's stock after selling 22,950 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management owned 1.02% of Group 1 Automotive worth $50,384,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 571 shares of the company's stock worth $241,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its position 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 worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 1.2% during the first quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 2,718 shares of the company's stock worth $1,038,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Xponance Inc. boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 2.5% during the first quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 1,302 shares of the company's stock worth $497,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 119.4% during the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 68 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company's stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

Shares of Group 1 Automotive stock traded up $12.04 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $419.46. 178,441 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 168,135. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $436.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $430.42. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1-year low of $334.38 and a 1-year high of $490.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97.

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

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup lifted 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 report on Tuesday, May 13th. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $510.00 to $565.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 16th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 27th. Guggenheim lowered shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $415.00 to $425.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $471.57.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Steven Mizell sold 525 shares of Group 1 Automotive 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 completion of the sale, the director owned 8 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,343.84. The trade was a 98.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 3,000 shares of Group 1 Automotive 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 sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 16,674 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,365,072.54. The trade was a 15.25% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Group 1 Automotive 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.