Brokerages Set Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Target Price at $454.43

Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the seven brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $454.43.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $463.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced 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 research report on Thursday, March 27th. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $460.00 price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Guggenheim downgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th.

Insider Transactions at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $405.57, for a total value of $654,184.41. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 8,260 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,350,008.20. This trade represents a 16.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GPI. Nuveen LLC acquired a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the first quarter worth $74,499,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter worth $65,721,000. FMR LLC increased its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 26.4% during the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 515,593 shares of the company’s stock worth $217,312,000 after acquiring an additional 107,663 shares during the last quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the first quarter worth $36,039,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 74,711.6% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 90,522 shares of the company’s stock worth $345,750,000 after buying an additional 90,401 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

NYSE:GPI opened at $440.55 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $405.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $424.58. The firm has a market cap of $5.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.99 and a beta of 0.94. Group 1 Automotive has a one year low of $279.86 and a one year high of $490.09. 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 (NYSE:GPI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $10.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.68 by $0.49. The business had revenue of $5.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.37 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 18.09%. The company’s revenue was up 23.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $9.49 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive will post 41 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 2nd will be issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.45%. Group 1 Automotive’s payout ratio is 5.61%.

Group 1 Automotive Company 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.