Benjamin Edwards Inc. Acquires 326 Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Benjamin Edwards Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 28.2% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 1,484 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 326 shares during the quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc.’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $441,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Principal Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 53.7% in the second quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 146 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the second quarter worth approximately $48,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 37.4% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 213 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 47.5% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 270 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

GPI stock opened at $382.97 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.26. The company’s 50-day moving average is $349.33 and its 200-day moving average is $311.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.18 billion, a PE ratio of 9.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.33. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1 year low of $228.84 and a 1 year high of $393.93.

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

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.49%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.44%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

GPI has been the subject of several analyst reports. Stephens began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $394.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. StockNews.com downgraded Group 1 Automotive from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, September 12th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $360.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $367.80.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.99, for a total value of $421,188.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 9,742 shares in the company, valued at $3,419,344.58. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

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.