Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Receives $343.00 Average PT from Analysts

Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five analysts that are covering the company, 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 1-year price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $367.80.

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

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GPI opened at $345.52 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.26. Group 1 Automotive has a one year low of $228.84 and a one year high of $379.45. The company has a market cap of $4.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.16, a PEG ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 1.33. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $337.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of $306.48.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $9.80 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.36 by $0.44. The company had revenue of $4.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.68 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 3.03% and a return on equity of 20.53%. Group 1 Automotive’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $11.73 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive will post 39.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Investors of record on Monday, September 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.54%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.44%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.99, for a total transaction of $421,188.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 9,742 shares in the company, valued at $3,419,344.58. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 1.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter worth about $46,923,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 22.0% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 639,142 shares of the company’s stock worth $190,004,000 after acquiring an additional 115,143 shares during the last quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at $24,562,000. Woodson Capital Management LP boosted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 114.6% during the first quarter. Woodson Capital Management LP now owns 142,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,643,000 after purchasing an additional 76,102 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP bought a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter valued at about $21,296,000. Hedge funds and other 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.