Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Upgraded at StockNews.com

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

GPI has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Stephens started coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $394.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $360.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Bank of America decreased their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded Group 1 Automotive from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their target price for the company from $285.00 to $430.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $396.80.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Down 0.5 %

Group 1 Automotive stock opened at $362.34 on Thursday. Group 1 Automotive has a 1 year low of $255.73 and a 1 year high of $393.93. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $365.24 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $330.44. The firm has a market cap of $4.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 1.02.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $9.90 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.87 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $5.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.06 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.83% and a net margin of 2.68%. Group 1 Automotive’s revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $12.07 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive will post 38.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.52%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 5.01%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owns 9,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,419,344.58. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 51.9% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 82 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Group 1 Automotive by 53.7% in the 2nd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 146 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the second quarter valued at about $48,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 17.1% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 267 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

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.