Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $450.33.

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $460.00 price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $500.00 target price for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

NYSE GPI opened at $376.32 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.98 billion, a PE ratio of 10.24 and a beta of 1.33. Group 1 Automotive has a 12-month low of $262.31 and a 12-month high of $490.09. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $442.80 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $412.94.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.77 by $1.25. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 18.09%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive will post 41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders 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. 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%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of GPI. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 40.3% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 43,350 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,271,000 after purchasing an additional 12,444 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at about $9,659,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 17.4% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 39,420 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,615,000 after buying an additional 5,850 shares during the period. Shellback Capital LP grew its position in Group 1 Automotive by 15.0% during the fourth quarter. Shellback Capital LP now owns 92,025 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,787,000 after buying an additional 12,025 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC increased its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 44.5% during the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 3,986 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,680,000 after acquiring an additional 1,227 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

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.