XTX Topco Ltd Sells 1,023 Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Key Points

• XTX Topco Ltd has reduced its holdings in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. by 28.9%, selling 1,023 shares, and now owns 2,517 shares valued at approximately $961,000.
• Recent analysts' actions include upgrades and downgrades, with Citigroup raising its target price from $463 to $495, while Guggenheim downgraded the stock from "buy" to "neutral."
• Group 1 Automotive reported earnings of $11.52 per share for the last quarter, exceeding estimates, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, yielding 0.5% annually.

XTX Topco Ltd decreased its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) by 28.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,517 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,023 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd's holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $961,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPI. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 119.4% during the 4th quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 68 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 24.8% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 146 shares of the company's stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 1st quarter valued at $87,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 95.9% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 237 shares of the company's stock valued at $91,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Archer Investment Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 1st quarter valued at $138,000. Institutional investors own 99.92% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $441.71, for a total value of $1,325,130.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 16,674 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,365,072.54. This represents a 15.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Steven Mizell sold 525 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $417.98, for a total transaction of $219,439.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 8 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,343.84. This trade represents a 98.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

NYSE:GPI traded up $12.04 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $419.46. 178,441 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 168,135. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $436.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $430.42. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 12 month low of $334.38 and a 12 month high of $490.09. The firm 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.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $11.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.31 by $1.21. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.18% and a return on equity of 18.10%. The business had revenue of $5.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.65 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $9.82 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 21.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on GPI. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $510.00 to $565.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price 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. Benchmark began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Tuesday, June 24th. They set a "hold" rating on the stock. Guggenheim downgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 27th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Group 1 Automotive presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $471.57.

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.