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 released on Thursday.

Several other research firms also recently issued reports on GPI. Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. They set an equal weight rating and a $394.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and raised their price target for the company from $285.00 to $430.00 in a research note on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $360.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $396.80.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GPI opened at $385.94 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $5.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.11, a PEG ratio of 1.94 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. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $356.83 and a 200 day simple moving average of $315.54. Group 1 Automotive has a one year low of $228.84 and a one year high of $393.93.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $9.80 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 net margin of 3.03% and a return on equity of 20.53%. The firm’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $11.73 EPS. Research analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive will post 39.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 2nd were given a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 30th. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.44%.

Insider Transactions at Group 1 Automotive

In other news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.99, for a total transaction of $421,188.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 9,742 shares in the company, valued at $3,419,344.58. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Arizona State Retirement System grew its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 0.9% during the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 3,832 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,139,000 after buying an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings 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 buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 1.7% during the second quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 2,854 shares of the company’s stock valued at $848,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings 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 buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Evergreen Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 7.9% during the second quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 1,040 shares of the company’s stock valued at $309,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is currently 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.