Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC Sells 2,283 Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC lessened its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 4.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 49,727 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,283 shares during the quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.37% of Group 1 Automotive worth $20,959,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 70.4% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 121 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 25.6% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 152 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,000 after buying an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter worth approximately $66,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 59.3% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 188 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on GPI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $460.00 price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $450.33.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Shares of GPI stock opened at $376.32 on Monday. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1 year low of $262.31 and a 1 year 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. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $442.80 and its 200-day moving average is $413.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.24 and a beta of 1.33.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 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%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.53%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s payout ratio is currently 5.44%.

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.