Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Trading Down 6.6% – Here’s What Happened

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) was down 6.6% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $408.68 and last traded at $401.62. Approximately 104,758 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 19% from the average daily volume of 129,064 shares. The stock had previously closed at $429.94.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on GPI shares. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, December 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $495.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $442.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $460.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $460.33.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $5.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.54 and a beta of 1.33. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $449.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $410.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.77 by $1.25. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 18.09%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.52%. This is a boost from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is currently 5.44%.

Insider Activity at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, Director Lincoln Pereira sold 6,000 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 98,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,013,899.56. This trade represents a 5.74 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Group 1 Automotive

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at $9,659,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 17.4% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 39,420 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,615,000 after purchasing an additional 5,850 shares during the period. Shellback Capital LP lifted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 15.0% during the 4th quarter. Shellback Capital LP now owns 92,025 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,787,000 after buying an additional 12,025 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 44.5% during the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 3,986 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,680,000 after buying an additional 1,227 shares during the period. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 1,193 shares of the company’s stock valued at $503,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

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.