Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) has received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the five ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $425.20.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on GPI. Stephens began coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $394.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Guggenheim increased their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $442.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley upgraded Group 1 Automotive from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $285.00 to $430.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Group 1 Automotive

In other news, VP Edward Mckissic sold 79 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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. This represents a 1.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Assetmark Inc. lifted its position in Group 1 Automotive by 51.9% in the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 82 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC raised its stake 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 worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 3rd quarter valued at about $46,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company's stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Up 3.1 %

Shares of GPI stock traded up $12.48 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $421.14. 85,892 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 158,637. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 1.00. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $377.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $342.90. The company has a market capitalization of $5.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.22 and a beta of 1.33. Group 1 Automotive has a fifty-two week low of $255.73 and a fifty-two week high of $422.92.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $9.90 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $9.87 by $0.03. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.49% and a net margin of 2.68%. The business had revenue of $5.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.06 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $12.07 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive will post 38.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive announced that its board has initiated a stock 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 stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.45%. Group 1 Automotive's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 5.01%.

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.