Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Stock Price Expected to Rise, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analyst Says

Key Points

• JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its price target on Group 1 Automotive from $370 to $385 and kept an "overweight" rating, implying roughly a 9.4% upside from the current share price.
• Despite missing quarterly estimates (EPS $8.49 vs. $9.36 consensus; revenue $5.58B vs. $5.71B), the stock rose about 4.9% to $351.80 on the report.
• Analysts' consensus is a Moderate Buy (7 Buys, 3 Holds) with an average price target of $444.50; the company has a market cap of $4.18B and a P/E of 14.07.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) had its target price increased by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $370.00 to $385.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s price objective points to a potential upside of 9.44% from the company's current price.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $490.00 to $420.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Benchmark raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $425.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Evercore assumed coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $500.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $470.00 to $455.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $444.50.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Up 4.9%

Group 1 Automotive stock traded up $16.32 on Friday, hitting $351.80. 50,029 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 177,721. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $326.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is $377.40. The firm has a market cap of $4.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. Group 1 Automotive has a 1 year low of $292.44 and a 1 year high of $488.39.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $8.49 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.36 by ($0.87). The company had revenue of $5.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.71 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 1.44% and a return on equity of 17.39%. Group 1 Automotive's revenue was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $10.02 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive will post 41 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Group 1 Automotive

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 54.9% in the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 79 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp lifted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 881.8% during the fourth quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 108 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 40.5% in the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 118 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Group 1 Automotive

Group 1 Automotive, Inc NYSE: GPI is an international automotive retailer headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company operates an extensive network of franchised dealerships, offering new and pre-owned vehicles from leading domestic and import manufacturers. In addition to vehicle sales, Group 1 Automotive provides a full complement of aftersales services, including finance and insurance products, parts distribution, collision repair centers and vehicle maintenance.

Founded in 1997, Group 1 Automotive has grown through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to establish a presence across the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil.

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