Pitcairn Co. Cuts Stock Position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Pitcairn Co. decreased its holdings in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 7.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,033 shares of the company’s stock after selling 161 shares during the quarter. Pitcairn Co.’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $857,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 70.4% in the fourth 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 grew its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 25.6% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 152 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at about $66,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

NYSE GPI opened at $380.26 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $436.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $414.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.24. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1 year low of $262.31 and a 1 year high of $490.09. The company has a market capitalization of $5.04 billion, a PE ratio of 10.35 and a beta of 1.05.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last announced 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 return on equity of 18.09% and a net margin of 2.47%. As a group, analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 earnings per share 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 an increase 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 0.53%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is 5.44%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GPI has been the topic of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $500.00 target price on the stock. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $460.00 price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $450.33.

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.