Tectonic Advisors LLC Boosts Stock Position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Tectonic Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) by 112.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,636 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,398 shares during the period. Tectonic Advisors LLC's holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $1,007,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its holdings 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 during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 24.8% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 146 shares of the company's stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 2,718 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,038,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Xponance Inc. grew its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 1,302 shares of the company's stock valued at $497,000 after buying an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. raised 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 acquiring an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company's stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Down 1.5%

GPI stock traded down $6.85 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $444.71. 151,610 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 150,443. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a twelve month low of $298.92 and a twelve month high of $490.09. The firm's 50 day moving average is $440.80 and its 200 day moving average is $431.29. The firm has a market cap of $5.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.90.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $9.68 by $0.49. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.27% and a return on equity of 17.96%. The firm had revenue of $5.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $9.49 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 23.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.45%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 2nd. Group 1 Automotive's dividend payout ratio is currently 5.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Guggenheim lowered Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Benchmark started coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Tuesday, June 24th. They set a "hold" rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 27th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $463.00 to $495.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $473.00.

Insider Activity at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $441.71, for a total transaction of $1,325,130.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 16,674 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,365,072.54. This trade represents a 15.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $405.57, for a total transaction of $654,184.41. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 8,260 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,350,008.20. This represents a 16.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.