Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Sets New 12-Month Low – What’s Next?

Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) reached a new 52-week low on Monday . The company traded as low as $291.33 and last traded at $297.7520, with a volume of 5335 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $301.74.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on GPI. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, June 12th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $460.00 to $400.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $338.00 price target for the company. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $462.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Group 1 Automotive presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $441.25.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $3.50 billion, a PE ratio of 11.26, a PEG ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 0.81. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $327.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $347.56. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $8.66 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.82 by ($0.16). The company had revenue of $5.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.42 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 16.63% and a net margin of 1.46%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $10.17 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 42.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st were issued a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Group 1 Automotive’s payout ratio is currently 8.40%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of GPI. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in Group 1 Automotive by 6.1% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 471 shares of the company’s stock valued at $206,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 54.9% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 79 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Lido Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 935 shares of the company’s stock valued at $399,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 40.5% in the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 118 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 7.2% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 551 shares of the company’s stock worth $217,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Company Profile

Group 1 Automotive, Inc (NYSE: GPI) is an international automotive retailer headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company operates an extensive network of franchised dealerships, offering new and pre-owned vehicles from leading domestic and import manufacturers. In addition to vehicle sales, Group 1 Automotive provides a full complement of aftersales services, including finance and insurance products, parts distribution, collision repair centers and vehicle maintenance.

Founded in 1997, Group 1 Automotive has grown through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to establish a presence across the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil.