Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Sells 761 Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp lowered its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 31.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,683 shares of the company’s stock after selling 761 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $709,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 70.4% in the 4th 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. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 25.6% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 152 shares of the company’s stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter worth about $66,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 59.3% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 188 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GPI has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced 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 research report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $460.00 price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $450.33.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

GPI opened at $389.34 on Wednesday. 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 business has a fifty day simple moving average of $440.31 and a 200 day simple moving average of $414.35. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1 year low of $262.31 and a 1 year high of $490.09. The company has a market capitalization of $5.16 billion, a PE ratio of 10.59 and a beta of 1.33.

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

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This is a boost from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.51%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.44%.

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.