Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Now Covered by Analysts at Benchmark

Benchmark began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) in a report published on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, June 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $463.00 to $495.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Guggenheim downgraded Group 1 Automotive from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $510.00 to $565.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, June 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $473.00.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of GPI opened at $446.46 on Tuesday. Group 1 Automotive has a 1-year low of $279.86 and a 1-year high of $490.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $424.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $427.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.53, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.91.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $10.17 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.68 by $0.49. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 17.96% and a net margin of 2.27%. The company had revenue of $5.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $9.49 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive will post 41 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.45%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 2nd. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.61%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $441.71, for a total value of $1,325,130.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 16,674 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,365,072.54. This trade represents a 15.25% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the vice president now owns 8,260 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,350,008.20. This represents a 16.34% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 119.4% during the 4th quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 68 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the period. Elequin Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 24.8% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 146 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the 1st quarter worth about $64,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 59.3% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 188 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.