Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Shares Sold by MML Investors Services LLC

MML Investors Services LLC lessened its position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) by 16.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,315 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,013 shares during the period. MML Investors Services LLC's holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $2,240,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of GPI. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings 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. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in Group 1 Automotive by 70.4% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 121 shares of the company's stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in 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 last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at about $66,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company's stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of NYSE:GPI traded up $6.34 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $411.67. 81,214 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 143,169. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $407.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $418.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 1.03. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a twelve month low of $279.86 and a twelve month high of $490.09. The company has a market cap of $5.32 billion, a PE ratio of 11.20 and a beta of 0.94.

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

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.49%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This is a boost from Group 1 Automotive's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Group 1 Automotive's dividend payout ratio is currently 5.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GPI has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective 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. Guggenheim cut their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $502.00 to $426.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Stephens reissued an "equal weight" rating and set a $460.00 price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Citigroup assumed coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $463.00 target price on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $449.86.

Insider Buying and Selling at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $405.57, for a total transaction of $654,184.41. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 8,260 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,350,008.20. This trade represents a 16.34 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 2.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.