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

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new stake in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund acquired 3,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,602,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Quantbot Technologies LP raised its position in Group 1 Automotive by 51.8% during the fourth quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 507 shares of the company’s stock valued at $214,000 after acquiring an additional 173 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas grew its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 3,281 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,383,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $384,000. Xponance Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 14.3% in the 4th quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 1,270 shares of the company’s stock valued at $535,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the period. Finally, Boston Partners boosted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 74,844 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,653,000 after buying an additional 2,405 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

GPI stock opened at $376.32 on Friday. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1 year low of $262.31 and a 1 year high of $490.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.98 billion, a PE ratio of 10.24 and a beta of 1.33. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $442.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $412.94.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.77 by $1.25. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.09% and a net margin of 2.47%. Equities research analysts anticipate 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a positive change from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.53%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.44%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GPI has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Stephens restated 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. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price target for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $450.33.

Group 1 Automotive 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.