Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $367.80.

GPI has been the subject of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $360.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. StockNews.com cut Group 1 Automotive from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Bank of America lowered their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $394.00 price target for the company.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

Shares of GPI opened at $364.84 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $340.13 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $308.06. Group 1 Automotive has a 12 month low of $228.84 and a 12 month high of $379.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.33.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $9.80 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.36 by $0.44. The company had revenue of $4.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.68 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 20.53% and a net margin of 3.03%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $11.73 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive will post 39.26 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.52%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.44%.

Insider Transactions at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.99, for a total transaction of $421,188.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 9,742 shares in the company, valued at $3,419,344.58. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of GPI. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,203,000. Hennessy Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 14.0% during the 1st quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 91,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,856,000 after buying an additional 11,300 shares during the last quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 1st quarter worth $887,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 21.6% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 30,845 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,400,000 after acquiring an additional 5,472 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 15.2% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 22,236 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,498,000 after acquiring an additional 2,927 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

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.