Zacks Research Analysts Boost Earnings Estimates for GPI

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research boosted their Q2 2026 earnings per share estimates for Group 1 Automotive in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, May 8th. Zacks Research analyst L. Shahu now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of $9.98 for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $9.49. The consensus estimate for Group 1 Automotive's current full-year earnings is $41.00 per share.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $10.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.68 by $0.49. The business had revenue of $5.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.37 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.09% and a net margin of 2.47%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 23.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $9.49 EPS.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Stephens restated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $460.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Citigroup raised their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $463.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Guggenheim downgraded Group 1 Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Group 1 Automotive currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $454.43.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Up 0.3%

Group 1 Automotive stock traded up $1.16 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $442.02. The company had a trading volume of 16,010 shares, compared to its average volume of 163,270. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. Group 1 Automotive has a 1 year low of $279.86 and a 1 year high of $490.09. The business has a fifty day moving average of $404.07 and a 200 day moving average of $422.58. The stock has a market cap of $5.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.99 and a beta of 0.94.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 119.4% during the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 68 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. Elequin Capital LP purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 70.4% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 121 shares of the company's stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 24.8% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 146 shares of the company's stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $405.57, for a total transaction of $654,184.41. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.45%. Group 1 Automotive's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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.