Brokerages Set Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Target Price at $447.83

Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the six research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $447.83.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on GPI shares. 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 lifted their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $442.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Stephens reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating and issued a $460.00 price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $425.00 to $420.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $500.00 price objective on the stock.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Down 0.8 %

Group 1 Automotive stock traded down $3.97 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $465.65. 63,458 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 133,824. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $434.83 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $393.34. Group 1 Automotive has a 52 week low of $258.77 and a 52 week high of $489.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.20 billion, a PE ratio of 12.67 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 18.25%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive will post 40.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.40%. Group 1 Automotive's payout ratio is 5.12%.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Group 1 Automotive news, Director Lincoln Pereira sold 6,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 98,467 shares in the company, valued at $42,013,899.56. The trade was a 5.74 % 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 hyperlink. 1.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 51.9% in the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 82 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 25.6% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 152 shares of the company's stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 13.4% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 346 shares of the company's stock valued at $146,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the period. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 20.0% in the third quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 264 shares of the company's stock valued at $101,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, Savant Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 622 shares of the company's stock valued at $262,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the period. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.