Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Receives $454.43 Average Target Price from Brokerages

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the seven ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $454.43.

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on GPI shares. Guggenheim downgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Stephens reaffirmed 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $463.00 to $495.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th.

Insider Activity

In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $405.57, for a total value of $654,184.41. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 8,260 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,350,008.20. This represents a 16.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of GPI. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its position in Group 1 Automotive by 119.4% in 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. Elequin Capital LP bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in Group 1 Automotive by 24.8% in 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. Finally, Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 25.6% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 152 shares of the company's stock worth $64,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.92% of the company's stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Up 0.0%

NYSE GPI traded up $0.17 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $426.73. 98,252 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 143,652. Group 1 Automotive has a 52-week low of $279.86 and a 52-week high of $490.09. The firm has a market cap of $5.52 billion, a PE ratio of 11.61 and a beta of 0.94. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $407.89 and a 200 day simple moving average of $425.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $10.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $5.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.37 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $9.49 EPS. Group 1 Automotive's revenue was up 23.1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive will post 41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The business 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. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.47%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 2nd. Group 1 Automotive's dividend payout ratio is currently 5.61%.

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.