Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Shares Acquired by Spruce House Investment Management LLC

Spruce House Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 51.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 29,500 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 10,000 shares during the period. Group 1 Automotive makes up approximately 0.6% of Spruce House Investment Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Spruce House Investment Management LLC owned 0.22% of Group 1 Automotive worth $8,770,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Principal Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 53.7% during the 2nd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 146 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $48,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings 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 valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 47.5% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 270 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GPI opened at $385.11 on Wednesday. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 12 month low of $228.84 and a 12 month high of $393.93. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $352.43 and a 200-day moving average of $313.78. 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 company has a market capitalization of $5.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.33.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $9.80 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.36 by $0.44. The firm had revenue of $4.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.68 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 3.03% and a return on equity of 20.53%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $11.73 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 39.18 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 2nd were issued a $0.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.49%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is currently 4.44%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.99, for a total transaction 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of 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. Stephens began coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $394.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased 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, September 10th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Group 1 Automotive from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, September 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $367.80.

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.