Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC Has $20.96 Million Holdings in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC cut its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) by 4.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 49,727 shares of the company's stock after selling 2,283 shares during the quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC owned 0.37% of Group 1 Automotive worth $20,959,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cerity Partners LLC raised its position in Group 1 Automotive by 59.5% in the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 7,909 shares of the company's stock worth $3,029,000 after purchasing an additional 2,949 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC grew its position in Group 1 Automotive by 133.0% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 407,930 shares of the company's stock valued at $156,253,000 after acquiring an additional 232,846 shares during the period. Glenmede Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 33.2% during the third quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 1,059 shares of the company's stock valued at $406,000 after acquiring an additional 264 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 3,328 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,275,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 3rd quarter worth about $13,117,000. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on GPI shares. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They set a "buy" rating and a $500.00 price objective on the stock. Stephens reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating and set a $460.00 price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $450.33.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Up 2.1 %

NYSE:GPI traded up $7.96 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $380.26. 284,467 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 141,735. The company has a market capitalization of $5.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.35 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The company's 50 day moving average is $436.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $414.06. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a twelve month low of $262.31 and a twelve month high of $490.09.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a boost from Group 1 Automotive's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.53%. Group 1 Automotive's payout ratio is currently 5.44%.

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.