Cibc World Markets Corp Purchases Shares of 1,238 Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Cibc World Markets Corp purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 1,238 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $522,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPI. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the third quarter valued at about $46,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 70.4% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 121 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at about $66,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 59.3% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 188 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

GPI stock opened at $399.90 on Friday. 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, Inc. has a 12 month low of $262.31 and a 12 month high of $490.09. The firm has a market cap of $5.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.88 and a beta of 1.33. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $446.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $411.78.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 18.09%. On average, analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a $0.50 dividend. This is an increase from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Group 1 Automotive Company Profile

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.