Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Price Target Cut to $426.00 by Analysts at Guggenheim

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) had its price objective decreased by Guggenheim from $502.00 to $426.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. Guggenheim currently has a buy rating on the stock.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $460.00 price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective 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 research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $447.67.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

Shares of GPI stock opened at $400.57 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $5.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.90 and a beta of 1.05. Group 1 Automotive has a 52-week low of $269.52 and a 52-week high of $490.09. 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 company’s 50 day moving average is $417.23 and its 200 day moving average is $415.54.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.77 by $1.25. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 18.09%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive will post 41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This is an increase from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 5.44%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 2.3% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 156,627 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,701,000 after purchasing an additional 3,507 shares during the period. Boston Partners grew its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 74,844 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,653,000 after buying an additional 2,405 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 154,923 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,297,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares during the period. Cinctive Capital Management LP raised its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 181.3% in the fourth quarter. Cinctive Capital Management LP now owns 21,321 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,986,000 after acquiring an additional 13,742 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Paradigm Asset Management Co. LLC purchased a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter worth approximately $295,000. 99.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.