Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC Buys Shares of 18,505 Penske Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:PAG)

Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC purchased a new position in Penske Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:PAG - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 18,505 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,821,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of PAG. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Penske Automotive Group by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,999,191 shares of the company's stock valued at $304,757,000 after purchasing an additional 12,912 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in Penske Automotive Group by 24.4% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 263,571 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,179,000 after acquiring an additional 51,720 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in Penske Automotive Group by 17.4% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 259,513 shares of the company's stock valued at $39,560,000 after buying an additional 38,388 shares during the last quarter. Bruni J V & Co. Co. raised its position in shares of Penske Automotive Group by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Bruni J V & Co. Co. now owns 200,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,510,000 after acquiring an additional 3,738 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Penske Automotive Group by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC now owns 182,966 shares of the company's stock worth $27,891,000 after purchasing an additional 1,486 shares during the last quarter. 77.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Penske Automotive Group Stock Performance

PAG stock traded down $0.45 on Monday, reaching $156.90. The company's stock had a trading volume of 26,206 shares, compared to its average volume of 194,591. Penske Automotive Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $134.05 and a 52 week high of $180.12. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $153.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $158.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The company has a market capitalization of $10.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.43 and a beta of 1.03.

Penske Automotive Group (NYSE:PAG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The company reported $3.39 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.27 by $0.12. Penske Automotive Group had a return on equity of 18.05% and a net margin of 3.02%. The firm had revenue of $7.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.21 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Penske Automotive Group, Inc. will post 13.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Penske Automotive Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 6th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a dividend of $1.22 per share. This represents a $4.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.11%. This is a boost from Penske Automotive Group's previous quarterly dividend of $1.19. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. Penske Automotive Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.37%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Penske Automotive Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Citigroup started coverage on Penske Automotive Group in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. They set a "buy" rating and a $185.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Penske Automotive Group from $165.00 to $140.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating and issued a $140.00 target price on shares of Penske Automotive Group in a research report on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $165.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Claude H. Denker III sold 8,746 shares of Penske Automotive Group stock in a transaction on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.03, for a total transaction of $1,513,320.38. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 28,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,003,508.51. The trade was a 23.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director John Barr sold 1,529 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.45, for a total value of $237,683.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 51.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Penske Automotive Group Profile

Penske Automotive Group, Inc, a diversified transportation services company, operates automotive and commercial truck dealerships worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Retail Automotive, Retail Commercial Truck, Other, and Non-Automotive Investments. It operates dealerships under franchise agreements with various automotive manufacturers and distributors.