Vanguard Group Inc. Has $553.42 Million Stake in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. $GPI

Key Points

• Vanguard Group trimmed its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 0.9% to 1,407,113 shares, leaving it with an 11.14% ownership position valued at about $553.42 million.
• Group 1 reported quarterly EPS of $8.66 versus $8.82 expected and slightly missed revenue estimates, and the stock was trading down ~6.6% (opened at $330.24) amid a market cap of $3.92 billion.
• Analysts are generally positive with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a $447.14 average price target, while the company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.55 (annualized $2.20, ~0.7% yield).

Vanguard Group Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) by 0.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,407,113 shares of the company's stock after selling 13,147 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 11.14% of Group 1 Automotive worth $553,418,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of GPI. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 3.0% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 7,766 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,966,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 20.3% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 37,028 shares of the company's stock valued at $14,143,000 after purchasing an additional 6,239 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the first quarter valued at $229,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 6.2% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 41,872 shares of the company's stock valued at $15,993,000 after purchasing an additional 2,452 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 46.7% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,753 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,202,000 after purchasing an additional 877 shares during the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on GPI. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $370.00 to $385.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $460.00 to $400.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Evercore initiated coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $500.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Benchmark raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $425.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $447.14.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Down 6.6%

Shares of Group 1 Automotive stock opened at $330.24 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $328.67 and a 200-day moving average of $370.36. The stock has a market cap of $3.92 billion, a PE ratio of 12.61, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.87. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 52-week low of $292.44 and a 52-week high of $488.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.95.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $8.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $8.82 by ($0.16). The business had revenue of $5.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.42 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 1.46% and a return on equity of 16.63%. The company's revenue was down 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $10.17 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41.56 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.55 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. This is a positive change from Group 1 Automotive's previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Group 1 Automotive's dividend payout ratio is currently 8.40%.

Group 1 Automotive Profile

Group 1 Automotive, Inc NYSE: GPI is an international automotive retailer headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company operates an extensive network of franchised dealerships, offering new and pre-owned vehicles from leading domestic and import manufacturers. In addition to vehicle sales, Group 1 Automotive provides a full complement of aftersales services, including finance and insurance products, parts distribution, collision repair centers and vehicle maintenance.

Founded in 1997, Group 1 Automotive has grown through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to establish a presence across the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil.

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