Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Receives $450.33 Average Target Price from Analysts

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $450.33.

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $460.00 price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price objective for the company.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Shares of GPI opened at $382.31 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $5.06 billion, a PE ratio of 10.40 and a beta of 1.33. Group 1 Automotive has a 52-week low of $262.31 and a 52-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. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $441.48 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $414.17.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released 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 net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 18.09%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive will post 41 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

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

Institutional Trading of Group 1 Automotive

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 133.0% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 407,930 shares of the company’s stock valued at $156,253,000 after purchasing an additional 232,846 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter valued at $65,721,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter worth $37,119,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 111.1% in the 4th quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 161,216 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,949,000 after acquiring an additional 84,832 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advent International L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 65.7% in the fourth quarter. Advent International L.P. now owns 203,951 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,961,000 after purchasing an additional 80,870 shares during the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.