Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Increases Stake in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 3.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,514 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $1,342,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 1st quarter valued at about $87,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 95.9% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 237 shares of the company’s stock valued at $91,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Archer Investment Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 1st quarter valued at about $138,000. 99.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on GPI. Benchmark began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Tuesday, June 24th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Citigroup increased 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 note on Tuesday, May 13th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $510.00 to $565.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 16th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 27th. Finally, Guggenheim cut shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $470.14.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

NYSE GPI opened at $409.70 on Monday. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 12 month low of $326.91 and a 12 month high of $490.09. The stock has a market cap of $5.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.30, a PEG ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.83. The company’s 50 day moving average is $436.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $430.70. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $11.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.31 by $1.21. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.18% and a return on equity of 18.10%. The company had revenue of $5.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.65 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $9.82 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 21.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 earnings per share for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Group 1 Automotive news, Director Steven Mizell sold 525 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $417.98, for a total transaction of $219,439.50. Following the sale, the director owned 8 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,343.84. This trade represents a 98.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $441.71, for a total transaction of $1,325,130.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 16,674 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,365,072.54. The trade was a 15.25% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.