LSV Asset Management Sells 11,360 Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

LSV Asset Management trimmed its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) by 3.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 283,676 shares of the company's stock after selling 11,360 shares during the quarter. LSV Asset Management owned about 2.05% of Group 1 Automotive worth $86,447,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Hennessy Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at $24,562,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in Group 1 Automotive by 12.5% during the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 574,561 shares of the company's stock worth $154,390,000 after purchasing an additional 63,726 shares during the period. Covalis Capital LLP acquired a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the third quarter worth about $16,330,000. Boston Partners acquired a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $12,703,000. Finally, South Dakota Investment Council lifted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 407.5% during the 3rd quarter. South Dakota Investment Council now owns 35,399 shares of the company's stock worth $9,512,000 after acquiring an additional 28,424 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on GPI shares. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $330.00 price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley raised Group 1 Automotive from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and raised their price objective for the company from $200.00 to $255.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $315.00 to $310.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Finally, Guggenheim upgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $305.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $330.83.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:GPI traded up $2.51 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $295.04. 101,285 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 162,679. The business's 50-day moving average price is $276.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $276.63. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.38. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 12 month low of $214.25 and a 12 month high of $310.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 31st. The company reported $9.50 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $10.44 by ($0.94). Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 3.23% and a return on equity of 22.45%. The company had revenue of $4.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.41 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $10.86 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 39.6 earnings per share for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 1st were given a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.64%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 29th. This is an increase from Group 1 Automotive's previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. Group 1 Automotive's dividend payout ratio is currently 4.44%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,400 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $294.63, for a total value of $412,482.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 11,535 shares in the company, valued at $3,398,557.05. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company's stock.

Group 1 Automotive 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.