Xponance Inc. Boosts Stock Position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Xponance Inc. raised its holdings in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 14.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,270 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 159 shares during the quarter. Xponance Inc.’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $535,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in GPI. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings 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 worth $55,701,000 after purchasing an additional 3,507 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners grew its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 74,844 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,653,000 after acquiring an additional 2,405 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 154,923 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,297,000 after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares during the period. Paradigm Asset Management Co. LLC bought a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $295,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $21,608,000. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Up 0.7 %

GPI opened at $421.24 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The firm has a market cap of $5.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.46 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 stock has a fifty day moving average price of $445.98 and a 200-day moving average price of $412.93.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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, equities research analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 earnings per share 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. Investors 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.47%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is presently 5.44%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GPI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $460.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price target on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned 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 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.