Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) PT Lowered to $310.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) had its price target decreased by stock analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $315.00 to $310.00 in a research note issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s target price would suggest a potential upside of 5.03% from the company’s current price.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Morgan Stanley raised Group 1 Automotive from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and upped their price target for the company from $200.00 to $255.00 in a report on Thursday, February 29th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $330.00 price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Guggenheim upgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $305.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 17th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $330.83.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

NYSE GPI opened at $295.16 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $276.48 and its 200 day simple moving average is $276.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.99 billion, a PE ratio of 6.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 1.38. Group 1 Automotive has a 12 month low of $214.25 and a 12 month high of $310.08.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The company reported $9.50 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $10.44 by ($0.94). The business had revenue of $4.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.41 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 22.45% and a net margin of 3.23%. Group 1 Automotive’s revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $10.86 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive will post 39.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.63, for a total transaction of $412,482.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 11,535 shares in the company, valued at $3,398,557.05. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Group 1 Automotive

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPI. Principal Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 159.6% during the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 122 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Gladius Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Planned Solutions Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter worth $50,000. Finally, Anchor Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter worth $53,000. 99.92% of the stock is currently 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.