Coldstream Capital Management Inc. Cuts Stock Holdings in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Coldstream Capital Management Inc. lessened its holdings in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 2.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,283 shares of the company’s stock after selling 31 shares during the period. Coldstream Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $541,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of GPI. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at about $65,721,000. FMR LLC lifted its position in Group 1 Automotive by 26.4% during the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 515,593 shares of the company’s stock valued at $217,312,000 after acquiring an additional 107,663 shares during the last quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,119,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 111.1% in the fourth quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 161,216 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,949,000 after purchasing an additional 84,832 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter worth $21,608,000. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

NYSE:GPI opened at $407.58 on Wednesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $410.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $417.25. The firm has a market cap of $5.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.09 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 1.03. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a one year low of $279.86 and a one year high of $490.09.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $10.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.68 by $0.49. The firm had revenue of $5.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.37 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.09% and a net margin of 2.47%. The company’s revenue was up 23.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $9.49 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a boost from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.49%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GPI has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $460.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $463.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Guggenheim cut their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $502.00 to $426.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $449.86.

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.