Zacks Research Issues Negative Outlook for GPI Earnings

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) – Zacks Research reduced their Q1 2028 EPS estimates for Group 1 Automotive in a note issued to investors on Monday, April 6th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $13.22 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $13.74. 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 FY2028 earnings at $51.84 EPS.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $8.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $5.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.71 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $10.02 earnings per share. Group 1 Automotive’s revenue for the quarter was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $460.00 to $400.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $370.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, February 20th. Benchmark raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $425.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $452.00.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

NYSE GPI opened at $323.90 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $329.86 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $381.81. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. Group 1 Automotive has a 12-month low of $292.44 and a 12-month high of $488.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.95, a P/E/G ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 0.88.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 54.9% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 79 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Corp raised its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 881.8% in the 4th quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 108 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter worth $43,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. boosted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 40.5% in the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 118 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd were paid a $0.55 dividend. This is a positive change from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8.80%.

About Group 1 Automotive

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.