Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Seaport Res Ptn reduced their Q4 2024 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Group 1 Automotive in a note issued to investors on Thursday, January 16th. Seaport Res Ptn analyst G. Chin now forecasts that the company will earn $8.85 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $9.22. The consensus estimate for Group 1 Automotive's current full-year earnings is $38.36 per share.
Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $9.90 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $9.87 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $5.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.06 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.49% and a net margin of 2.68%. Group 1 Automotive's quarterly revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $12.07 EPS.
Several other research firms have also recently commented on GPI. Guggenheim lifted their target price 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 initiated coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $500.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com upgraded Group 1 Automotive from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $425.00 to $420.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $285.00 to $430.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $436.83.
Check Out Our Latest Report on Group 1 Automotive
Group 1 Automotive Stock Up 0.7 %
Shares of GPI traded up $3.04 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $447.84. 95,883 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 108,822. Group 1 Automotive has a 52 week low of $255.73 and a 52 week high of $449.58. The company has a market cap of $5.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.93 and a beta of 1.36. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $423.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $377.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position 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 in the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 3rd quarter valued at about $3,286,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 22.0% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 639,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $190,004,000 after acquiring an additional 115,143 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates grew its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 14.7% during the third quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 46,483 shares of the company's stock worth $17,805,000 after purchasing an additional 5,942 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pathstone Holdings LLC increased its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 25.8% in the third quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 10,180 shares of the company's stock worth $3,899,000 after purchasing an additional 2,089 shares during the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Insider Activity at Group 1 Automotive
In related news, VP Edward Mckissic sold 79 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $374.01, for a total transaction of $29,546.79. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 6,259 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,340,928.59. This represents a 1.25 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Lincoln Pereira sold 6,000 shares of Group 1 Automotive 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 98,467 shares of the company's stock, valued at $42,013,899.56. The trade was a 5.74 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Group 1 Automotive announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, November 12th that authorizes the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 9.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.
Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were given a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.42%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 2nd. Group 1 Automotive's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.01%.
Group 1 Automotive Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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.
Further Reading
Before you consider Group 1 Automotive, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Group 1 Automotive wasn't on the list.
While Group 1 Automotive currently has a "Moderate Buy" rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
Which stocks are major institutional investors including hedge funds and endowments buying in today's market? Click the link below and we'll send you MarketBeat's list of thirteen stocks that institutional investors are buying up as quickly as they can.
Get This Free Report
Like this article? Share it with a colleague.
Link copied to clipboard.
