Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Shares Sold by Park West Asset Management LLC

Park West Asset Management LLC reduced its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) by 56.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 87,192 shares of the company's stock after selling 111,308 shares during the period. Group 1 Automotive comprises 3.0% of Park West Asset Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Park West Asset Management LLC owned 0.65% of Group 1 Automotive worth $36,750,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in GPI. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted 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 buying an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 70.4% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 121 shares of the company's stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 25.6% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 152 shares of the company's stock worth $64,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $66,000. 99.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Group 1 Automotive

In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $405.57, for a total transaction of $654,184.41. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 8,260 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,350,008.20. The trade was a 16.34 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 2.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on GPI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Guggenheim cut their target price 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 issued a $460.00 price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. They set a "buy" rating and a $463.00 target price on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $449.86.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GPI traded up $6.34 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $411.67. The company had a trading volume of 81,214 shares, compared to its average volume of 143,169. The stock has a market cap of $5.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.20 and a beta of 0.94. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $407.31 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $418.23. 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, Inc. has a 12 month low of $279.86 and a 12 month high of $490.09.

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

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This is an increase from Group 1 Automotive's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.49%. Group 1 Automotive's 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.