Q1 EPS Forecast for Group 1 Automotive Lowered by Analyst

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for Group 1 Automotive in a report issued on Thursday, March 5th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $9.42 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $10.02. The consensus estimate for Group 1 Automotive’s current full-year earnings is $41.00 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Group 1 Automotive’s Q2 2026 earnings at $10.76 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $10.83 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $10.42 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $41.43 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $12.29 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $8.56 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $14.71 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $12.14 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $47.70 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $52.65 EPS.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Benchmark restated a “hold” rating on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, January 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $370.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Evercore started coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $500.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Group 1 Automotive currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $458.00.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE:GPI opened at $319.05 on Monday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $364.51 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $404.99. The firm has a market cap of $3.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.76, a PEG ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 1.08. Group 1 Automotive has a 52-week low of $306.96 and a 52-week high of $488.39.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $8.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.36 by ($0.87). Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 17.39% and a net margin of 1.44%.The company had revenue of $5.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.71 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $10.02 EPS. Group 1 Automotive’s revenue for the quarter was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 7,766 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,966,000 after buying an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 20.3% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 37,028 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,143,000 after acquiring an additional 6,239 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the first quarter valued at approximately $229,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 6.2% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 41,872 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,993,000 after acquiring an additional 2,452 shares during the period. Finally, Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 25.8% during the second quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 122 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the period. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be issued a $0.55 dividend. This is an increase from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is currently 8.80%.

Group 1 Automotive declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Tuesday, November 11th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 10.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Group 1 Automotive News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Group 1 Automotive this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its Q2 2027 EPS view for GPI to $8.56 from $8.25 — a modest upward revision that suggests some quarter-to-quarter variability where used-car or seasonal dynamics could help results. MarketBeat Report
• Neutral Sentiment: The consensus for GPI’s current fiscal-year EPS remains around $41.00, implying analysts still expect recovery/earnings stability over the full year despite quarterly churn. MarketBeat Report
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut multiple near-term estimates: Q1–Q4 2026 and several 2027 quarters were reduced (examples: Q1 2026 to $9.42 from $10.02; Q2 2026 to $10.76 from $11.23; Q4 2026 to $10.42 from $11.60). Zacks also trimmed FY2026 to $41.43 (from $44.01), FY2027 to $47.70 (from $48.65) and FY2028 to $52.65 (from $55.73). These downward revisions signal lower near-term profit expectations and are likely the main driver of today’s weaker share performance. MarketBeat Report

Group 1 Automotive Company Profile

Group 1 Automotive, Inc (NYSE: GPI) is an international automotive retailer headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company operates an extensive network of franchised dealerships, offering new and pre-owned vehicles from leading domestic and import manufacturers. In addition to vehicle sales, Group 1 Automotive provides a full complement of aftersales services, including finance and insurance products, parts distribution, collision repair centers and vehicle maintenance.

Founded in 1997, Group 1 Automotive has grown through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to establish a presence across the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil.