Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $396.80.

GPI has been the subject of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $360.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. StockNews.com raised Group 1 Automotive from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Stephens initiated coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $394.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America decreased their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised Group 1 Automotive from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $285.00 to $430.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Group 1 Automotive

In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.99, for a total transaction of $421,188.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 9,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,419,344.58. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 53.7% in the 2nd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 146 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 2nd quarter valued at $48,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 47.5% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 270 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 17.1% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 267 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. 99.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

NYSE:GPI opened at $355.35 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.39, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.32. Group 1 Automotive has a 1 year low of $246.02 and a 1 year high of $393.93. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $364.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $328.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.26.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 2nd were given a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.53%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.44%.

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.