KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Invests $1.60 Million in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 3,800 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,602,000.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in GPI. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 2.3% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 156,627 shares of the company's stock worth $55,701,000 after buying an additional 3,507 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners boosted its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 2,405 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 154,923 shares of the company's stock worth $65,297,000 after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. Paradigm Asset Management Co. LLC bought a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter valued at $295,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter worth $21,608,000. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on GPI shares. Stephens reiterated 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on 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. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $500.00 target price for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $450.33.

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Group 1 Automotive Trading Up 2.3 %

NYSE GPI traded up $9.15 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $399.05. 244,571 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 140,294. The stock has a market cap of $5.29 billion, a PE ratio of 10.86 and a beta of 1.05. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 52 week low of $262.31 and a 52 week high of $490.09. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $439.49 and a 200 day moving average price of $414.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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 return on equity of 18.09% and a net margin of 2.47%. Analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.50%. The ex-dividend date 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%.

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.