Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

StockNews.com cut shares of Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report published on Thursday morning.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $360.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. Stephens initiated coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday. They set an equal weight rating and a $394.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America lowered their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $367.80.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Up 5.6 %

Shares of Group 1 Automotive stock opened at $364.39 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $340.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $307.74. Group 1 Automotive has a 1 year low of $228.84 and a 1 year high of $379.45. The company has a market capitalization of $4.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.26.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $9.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.36 by $0.44. The business had revenue of $4.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.68 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 20.53% and a net margin of 3.03%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $11.73 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive will post 39.26 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 2nd will be given a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.52%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is presently 4.44%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Group 1 Automotive

In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.99, for a total value of $421,188.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 9,742 shares in the company, valued at $3,419,344.58. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Group 1 Automotive

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in GPI. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 53.7% during the second quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 146 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the second quarter valued at about $48,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 37.4% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 213 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 47.5% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 270 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. 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.