Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Shares Sold by SG Americas Securities LLC

SG Americas Securities LLC lessened its stake in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI – Get Rating) by 41.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,709 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,372 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $673,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 316.2% in the 3rd quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 283 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI increased its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 19.1% in the 2nd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 418 shares of the company’s stock worth $71,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Islay Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 20.1% in the 2nd quarter. Islay Capital Management LLC now owns 1,069 shares of the company’s stock worth $182,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the 1st quarter worth $202,000. Finally, Mirabella Financial Services LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the third quarter worth $204,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.71% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on GPI. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $142.00 to $134.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $210.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, October 6th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Wednesday, October 12th. They set a “buy” rating for the company.

Insider Buying and Selling at Group 1 Automotive

In other Group 1 Automotive news, CEO Earl J. Hesterberg sold 13,925 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.14, for a total value of $2,633,774.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 76,079 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,389,582.06. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other news, VP Darryl M. Burman sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.00, for a total transaction of $185,000.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 22,595 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,180,075. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Earl J. Hesterberg sold 13,925 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.14, for a total transaction of $2,633,774.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 76,079 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,389,582.06. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 49,925 shares of company stock valued at $8,920,415 over the last 90 days. 3.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Up 3.4 %

Shares of GPI opened at $196.89 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 12-month low of $136.16 and a 12-month high of $200.86. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $186.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $175.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.49.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI – Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 26th. The company reported $12.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.99 by $1.01. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 4.32% and a return on equity of 36.79%. The firm had revenue of $4.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.07 billion. Sell-side analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 45.66 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 1st were given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 30th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.79%. This is a boost from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is presently 3.80%.

Group 1 Automotive Company Profile

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Group 1 Automotive, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates in the automotive retail industry. 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. It operates primarily in 17 states in the United States; and 35 towns in the United Kingdom.