Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Shares Sold by Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc.

Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 1.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,439 shares of the company’s stock after selling 28 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc.’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $607,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 2.3% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 156,627 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,701,000 after acquiring an additional 3,507 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 154,923 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,297,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. Paradigm Asset Management Co. LLC purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $295,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter worth approximately $21,608,000. Finally, Haven Private LLC acquired a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at $258,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on GPI shares. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $460.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $460.33.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Up 4.5 %

Shares of NYSE GPI opened at $418.27 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $446.28 and a 200 day moving average price of $412.50. The company has a market cap of $5.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.38 and a beta of 1.33. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 12-month low of $262.31 and a 12-month high of $490.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92.

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

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a boost from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.48%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s payout ratio is presently 5.44%.

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.