StockNews.com Upgrades Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) to Hold

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on GPI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Bank of America decreased 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. Morgan Stanley upgraded Group 1 Automotive from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $285.00 to $430.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Finally, Stephens initiated 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $397.80.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

NYSE:GPI opened at $402.07 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. Group 1 Automotive has a 52 week low of $255.73 and a 52 week high of $413.36. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $367.21 and its 200-day moving average price is $334.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.35 billion, a PE ratio of 10.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 1.33.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $9.90 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.87 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $5.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.06 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.49% and a net margin of 2.68%. Group 1 Automotive’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $12.07 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive will post 38.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction 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 sale, the vice president now owns 9,742 shares in the company, valued at $3,419,344.58. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, VP Edward Mckissic sold 79 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $374.01, for a total transaction of $29,546.79. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 6,259 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,340,928.59. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of the firm’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 transaction, the vice president now directly owns 9,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,419,344.58. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Assetmark Inc. grew its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 51.9% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 82 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the third quarter worth about $46,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the second quarter worth about $48,000. 99.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.