AlphaQuest LLC Sells 1,422 Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

AlphaQuest LLC cut its holdings in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 77.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 422 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,422 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $178,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Assetmark Inc. raised its position in Group 1 Automotive by 51.9% in the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 82 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the third quarter worth approximately $46,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Group 1 Automotive by 70.4% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 121 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter worth approximately $66,000. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on GPI shares. Guggenheim increased their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $442.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $495.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $460.00 price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price objective on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $460.33.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

GPI opened at $387.26 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.54 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a fifty day moving average of $448.95 and a 200 day moving average of $411.26. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $262.31 and a fifty-two week high of $490.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 1.03.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.77 by $1.25. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 18.09%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.52%. This is a boost from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.44%.

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.