Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Announces Earnings Results

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $9.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.36 by $0.44, Yahoo Finance reports. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 22.45% and a net margin of 3.23%. The firm had revenue of $4.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.68 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $11.73 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Up 3.5 %

GPI traded up $11.44 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $337.15. The stock had a trading volume of 219,500 shares, compared to its average volume of 135,400. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.35. Group 1 Automotive has a 52 week low of $228.84 and a 52 week high of $338.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 1.04. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $303.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $286.69.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 17th. Investors of record on Monday, June 3rd were given a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Guggenheim upgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $305.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $315.00 to $310.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $329.17.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,400 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.63, for a total value of $412,482.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 11,535 shares in the company, valued at $3,398,557.05. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,400 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $294.63, for a total transaction of $412,482.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 11,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,398,557.05. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 2,437 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $309.61, for a total value of $754,519.57. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 22,430 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,944,552.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 4,007 shares of company stock valued at $1,221,218 over the last 90 days. 1.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Group 1 Automotive

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.