Hudson Bay Capital Management LP Takes $6.07 Million Position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Hudson Bay Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 14,400 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,069,000. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP owned about 0.11% of Group 1 Automotive as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Full Sail Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at about $211,000. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 91.6% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 33,869 shares of the company's stock valued at $14,275,000 after purchasing an additional 16,191 shares during the last quarter. Crestline Management LP purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at about $543,000. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at about $421,000. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 571 shares of the company's stock valued at $241,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on GPI. Guggenheim lowered shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday. Stephens reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating and issued a $460.00 price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $463.00 to $495.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Group 1 Automotive currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $454.43.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GPI traded up $3.28 during trading on Friday, reaching $444.14. The company had a trading volume of 88,750 shares, compared to its average volume of 142,994. The company has a fifty day moving average of $404.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $422.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.09 and a beta of 0.94. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 12 month low of $279.86 and a 12 month high of $490.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $10.17 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 analysts' expectations of $5.37 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $9.49 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 23.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 earnings per share for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.45%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 2nd. Group 1 Automotive's payout ratio is currently 5.61%.

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.