Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Receives $460.33 Consensus Price Target from Brokerages

Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the six brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $460.33.

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Stephens reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating and set a $460.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $442.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set a "buy" rating and a $500.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th.

Remove Ads

Insider Activity

In other Group 1 Automotive news, Director Lincoln Pereira sold 6,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $426.68, for a total value of $2,560,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 98,467 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $42,013,899.56. This represents a 5.74 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 119.4% during the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 68 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Assetmark Inc. raised its position in Group 1 Automotive by 51.9% in the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 82 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the third quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Avior Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Institutional investors own 99.92% of the company's stock.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of Group 1 Automotive stock traded down $1.87 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $441.28. The company had a trading volume of 204,667 shares, compared to its average volume of 128,017. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $449.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $408.28. Group 1 Automotive has a fifty-two week low of $260.00 and a fifty-two week high of $490.09. The firm has a market cap of $5.84 billion, a PE ratio of 12.01 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

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

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. This is a boost from Group 1 Automotive's previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.45%. Group 1 Automotive's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 5.44%.

Group 1 Automotive announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, November 12th that permits the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy up to 9.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

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.