Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the seven research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $454.43.

Several brokerages have recently commented on GPI. Stephens restated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $460.00 price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Guggenheim downgraded Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $463.00 to $495.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 27th.

Insider Activity at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 28th. The stock was 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 trade represents a 16.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPI. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 571 shares of the company's stock valued at $241,000 after buying an additional 23 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in Group 1 Automotive by 24.8% during the first 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. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in Group 1 Automotive by 2.7% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,144 shares of the company's stock valued at $437,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 25.6% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 152 shares of the company's stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the period. Finally, SummerHaven Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings 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 worth $1,038,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Up 0.7%

Group 1 Automotive stock opened at $444.14 on Friday. Group 1 Automotive has a 12-month low of $279.86 and a 12-month high of $490.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.09 and a beta of 0.94. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $404.29 and a 200 day moving average of $423.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92.

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

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.45%. Group 1 Automotive's dividend payout ratio is currently 5.61%.

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.

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