Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Raised to "Buy" at Wall Street Zen

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Guggenheim lowered shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $463.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased 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. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $454.43.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Up 0.8%

NYSE GPI opened at $422.90 on Friday. Group 1 Automotive has a 12 month low of $279.86 and a 12 month high of $490.09. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $413.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $426.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The company has a market capitalization of $5.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.51 and a beta of 0.94.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last posted its 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 company had revenue of $5.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 revenue for the quarter was up 23.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $9.49 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive will post 41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Group 1 Automotive

In other news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction on Monday, April 28th. The shares were 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 owns 8,260 shares in the company, valued at $3,350,008.20. The trade was a 16.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of GPI. FMR LLC raised its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 26.4% during the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 515,593 shares of the company's stock worth $217,312,000 after purchasing an additional 107,663 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 396,401 shares of the company's stock valued at $167,075,000 after acquiring an additional 9,587 shares during the period. Advent International L.P. raised its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 15.3% in the 1st quarter. Advent International L.P. now owns 235,195 shares of the company's stock valued at $89,833,000 after acquiring an additional 31,244 shares during the period. Nuveen LLC bought a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the 1st quarter valued at about $74,499,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 180,580 shares of the company's stock valued at $68,973,000 after acquiring an additional 3,277 shares during the period. 99.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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