928 Shares in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Purchased by Townsquare Capital LLC

Townsquare Capital LLC bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm bought 928 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $391,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter worth $65,721,000. FMR LLC lifted its position in Group 1 Automotive by 26.4% during the 4th 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 period. Wealthfront Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter valued at about $37,119,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 111.1% in the fourth quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 161,216 shares of the company's stock valued at $67,949,000 after purchasing an additional 84,832 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter worth about $21,608,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company's stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

NYSE GPI traded up $14.31 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $400.57. 191,937 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 145,541. The business's 50 day moving average is $417.23 and its 200-day moving average is $415.54. The company has a market capitalization of $5.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.90 and a beta of 1.05. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1 year low of $269.52 and a 1 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 - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $8.77 by $1.25. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.09% and a net margin of 2.47%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.50%. This is a boost from Group 1 Automotive's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Group 1 Automotive's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on GPI shares. 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. Guggenheim decreased their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $502.00 to $426.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed 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. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $447.67.

Group 1 Automotive 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.