Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $1.25 EPS

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.77 by $1.25, Zacks reports. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.25% and a net margin of 2.47%.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Down 0.1 %

NYSE:GPI traded down $0.46 on Friday, reaching $461.48. 5,292 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 119,384. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. Group 1 Automotive has a 1-year low of $255.73 and a 1-year high of $471.28. The company’s 50 day moving average is $430.63 and its 200-day moving average is $385.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.57 and a beta of 1.36.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were given a dividend of $0.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.41%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 5.12%.

Group 1 Automotive announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, November 12th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 9.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GPI has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Guggenheim raised their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $442.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. 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 target price for the company. StockNews.com raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $425.00 to $420.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $460.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $447.83.

Insider Transactions at Group 1 Automotive

In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Edward Mckissic sold 79 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $374.01, for a total transaction of $29,546.79. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 6,259 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,340,928.59. This trade represents a 1.25 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Lincoln Pereira sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $426.68, for a total value of $2,560,080.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 98,467 shares in the company, valued at $42,013,899.56. This represents a 5.74 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.70% 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.