Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Shares Sold by Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd

Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd reduced its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) by 61.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 885 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,383 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd's holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $339,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPI. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the second quarter valued at $452,000. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the third quarter valued at about $3,286,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 22.0% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 639,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $190,004,000 after purchasing an additional 115,143 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates grew its position in Group 1 Automotive by 8.3% during the second quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 40,541 shares of the company's stock worth $12,052,000 after buying an additional 3,095 shares during the period. Finally, Pathstone Holdings LLC increased its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 25.8% in the third quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 10,180 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,899,000 after buying an additional 2,089 shares in the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Edward Mckissic sold 79 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $374.01, for a total value of $29,546.79. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 6,259 shares in the company, valued at $2,340,928.59. The trade was a 1.25 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.70% of the company's stock.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GPI traded down $1.96 on Friday, hitting $425.80. The company had a trading volume of 47,696 shares, compared to its average volume of 138,317. The company has a market cap of $5.67 billion, a PE ratio of 11.35 and a beta of 1.33. The business has a 50 day moving average of $382.49 and a 200 day moving average of $346.86. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 52-week low of $255.73 and a 52-week high of $440.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $9.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $9.87 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $5.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.06 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 18.49%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $12.07 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 38.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, November 12th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 9.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be issued a $0.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.44%. Group 1 Automotive's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.01%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on GPI. Guggenheim boosted their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $442.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Morgan Stanley upgraded Group 1 Automotive from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $285.00 to $430.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. StockNews.com upgraded Group 1 Automotive from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $394.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Group 1 Automotive presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $425.20.

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.