Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Shares Bought by EULAV Asset Management

EULAV Asset Management grew its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) by 43.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,215 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 7,300 shares during the quarter. EULAV Asset Management owned about 0.18% of Group 1 Automotive worth $9,275,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Assetmark Inc. grew its position in Group 1 Automotive by 51.9% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 82 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 53.7% during the 2nd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 146 shares of the company's stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 2nd quarter worth about $48,000. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Stephens initiated coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $394.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $285.00 to $430.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $397.80.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:GPI traded up $0.42 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $401.67. The stock had a trading volume of 161,852 shares, compared to its average volume of 134,834. The company has a market capitalization of $5.35 billion, a PE ratio of 10.70 and a beta of 1.33. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $375.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $340.96. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1 year low of $255.73 and a 1 year high of $422.28. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $9.90 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.87 by $0.03. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 18.49%. The firm had revenue of $5.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.06 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $12.07 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 38.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

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

Group 1 Automotive declared that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Tuesday, November 12th that authorizes the company to buyback $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 9.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, VP Edward Mckissic sold 79 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $374.01, for a total transaction of $29,546.79. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 6,259 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,340,928.59. This represents a 1.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Group 1 Automotive Company 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.