Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at Benchmark

Research analysts at Benchmark began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm set a "hold" rating on the stock.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on GPI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target 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 lowered shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Bank of America upped their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $510.00 to $565.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 16th. Wall Street Zen raised Group 1 Automotive from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 7th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $463.00 to $495.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $473.00.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE GPI traded down $0.24 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $433.28. 115,730 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 147,079. The company has a market cap of $5.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.91. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $425.88 and its 200-day simple moving average is $427.79. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Group 1 Automotive has a one year low of $279.86 and a one year high of $490.09.

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

Insider Activity at Group 1 Automotive

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

Institutional Trading of Group 1 Automotive

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 157,515 shares of the company's stock worth $66,389,000 after purchasing an additional 888 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners boosted its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 74,844 shares of the company's stock worth $31,653,000 after buying an additional 2,405 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 154,923 shares of the company's stock valued at $65,297,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. Cinctive Capital Management LP increased its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 181.3% in the 4th quarter. Cinctive Capital Management LP now owns 21,321 shares of the company's stock worth $8,986,000 after acquiring an additional 13,742 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings 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 worth $657,000 after acquiring an additional 1,306 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company's stock.

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.