Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Makes New $9.66 Million Investment in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new stake in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 22,918 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,659,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned 0.17% of Group 1 Automotive at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 571 shares of the company's stock valued at $241,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 119.4% in the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 68 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Group 1 Automotive by 13.4% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 346 shares of the company's stock worth $146,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC raised its position in Group 1 Automotive by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC now owns 1,536 shares of the company's stock worth $647,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Summit Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 1,385 shares of the company's stock valued at $584,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company's stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Down 1.0%

Group 1 Automotive stock traded down $4.19 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $425.29. 23,067 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 143,289. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $410.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $426.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The firm has a market cap of $5.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.57 and a beta of 0.94. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1 year low of $279.86 and a 1 year high of $490.09.

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

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.47%. Group 1 Automotive's payout ratio is 5.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Citigroup boosted their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $463.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. Guggenheim cut Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $454.43.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $405.57, for a total value of $654,184.41. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 8,260 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,350,008.20. This represents a 16.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 2.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.