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

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the eight ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $473.00.

GPI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of 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. Guggenheim lowered shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 27th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $510.00 to $565.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 16th. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $463.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Up 0.3%

Group 1 Automotive stock opened at $466.09 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.27. The company's 50-day moving average is $432.53 and its 200-day moving average is $429.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.03 billion, a PE ratio of 13.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.90. Group 1 Automotive has a fifty-two week low of $279.86 and a fifty-two week high of $490.09.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $10.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $9.68 by $0.49. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 17.96% and a net margin of 2.27%. The firm had revenue of $5.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $9.49 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 23.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive will post 41 earnings per share for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.43%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 2nd. Group 1 Automotive's payout ratio is currently 5.61%.

Insider Activity at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 owned 8,260 shares in the company, valued at $3,350,008.20. This trade represents a 16.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 3,000 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $441.71, for a total value of $1,325,130.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 16,674 shares in the company, valued at $7,365,072.54. The trade was a 15.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of GPI. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 157,515 shares of the company's stock worth $66,389,000 after acquiring an additional 888 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners raised its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 74,844 shares of the company's stock worth $31,653,000 after purchasing an additional 2,405 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Group 1 Automotive by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 154,923 shares of the company's stock worth $65,297,000 after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares during the period. Cinctive Capital Management LP lifted its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 181.3% in the fourth quarter. Cinctive Capital Management LP now owns 21,321 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,986,000 after purchasing an additional 13,742 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 315.5% during the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,720 shares of the company's stock valued at $657,000 after buying an additional 1,306 shares during the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.

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