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

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

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on GPI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced 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 report on Thursday, March 27th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $510.00 to $565.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 16th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $463.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Guggenheim cut shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Group 1 Automotive from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $473.00.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Shares of GPI opened at $448.69 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $5.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.92. Group 1 Automotive has a 1 year low of $279.86 and a 1 year high of $490.09. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $423.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $427.51. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.

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

Insider Activity at Group 1 Automotive

In other news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $405.57, for a total value 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 $3,350,008.20. This trade represents a 16.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 now directly owns 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 currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Group 1 Automotive

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of GPI. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its holdings 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 during the period. Elequin Capital LP bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 24.8% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 146 shares of the company's stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 1st quarter valued at $64,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 59.3% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 188 shares of the company's stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company's stock.

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.

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