Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Shares Sold by Tower Research Capital LLC TRC

Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lowered its position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) by 82.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 601 shares of the company's stock after selling 2,823 shares during the quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC's holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $253,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in GPI. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 119.4% during the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 68 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised 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 purchasing an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter worth approximately $66,000. Institutional investors own 99.92% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on GPI. Guggenheim lowered their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $502.00 to $426.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Stephens restated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $460.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $463.00 target price for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $449.86.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

GPI stock traded down $0.88 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $410.93. 95,885 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 143,082. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $405.44 and a 200 day simple moving average of $418.89. 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 52 week low of $279.86 and a 52 week high of $490.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.18 and a beta of 0.94.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results 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 net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 18.09%. The business had revenue of $5.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.37 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $9.49 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 23.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $405.57, for a total value of $654,184.41. Following the transaction, 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 2.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.