Geode Capital Management LLC Sells 2,194 Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Geode Capital Management LLC reduced its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) by 0.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 303,408 shares of the company's stock after selling 2,194 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned approximately 2.28% of Group 1 Automotive worth $127,910,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 2.3% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 156,627 shares of the company's stock worth $55,701,000 after purchasing an additional 3,507 shares during the period. Boston Partners lifted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 74,844 shares of the company's stock worth $31,653,000 after buying an additional 2,405 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 154,923 shares of the company's stock valued at $65,297,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. Paradigm Asset Management Co. LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at about $295,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter worth about $21,608,000. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on GPI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Stephens restated an "equal weight" rating and set a $460.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Group 1 Automotive has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $450.33.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Shares of GPI traded up $4.43 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $403.71. 164,201 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 144,618. The company has a market cap of $5.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.99 and a beta of 1.05. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1 year low of $262.31 and a 1 year high of $490.09. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $428.24 and a 200 day moving average price of $414.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.77 by $1.25. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 18.09%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 earnings per share for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

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

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.