Analysts Set Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Price Target at $460.33

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $460.33.

A number of analysts recently commented on GPI shares. StockNews.com raised Group 1 Automotive from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price 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. Guggenheim boosted their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $442.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $460.00 price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, December 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $500.00 target price on the stock.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

GPI stock opened at $443.83 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.08 and a beta of 1.36. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $448.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $408.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. Group 1 Automotive has a 12-month low of $260.00 and a 12-month high of $490.09.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last announced its quarterly 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 return on equity of 18.09% and a net margin of 2.47%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive will post 41 earnings per share for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, November 12th that authorizes the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 9.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.45%. This is a positive change from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Group 1 Automotive’s payout ratio is presently 5.44%.

Insider Transactions at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, Director Lincoln Pereira sold 6,000 shares of the company’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 transaction, the director now owns 98,467 shares in the company, valued at $42,013,899.56. The trade was a 5.74 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Group 1 Automotive

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 2.3% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 156,627 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,701,000 after buying an additional 3,507 shares during the last quarter. Paradigm Asset Management Co. LLC purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter valued at $295,000. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the 3rd quarter valued at $3,286,000. Pathstone Holdings LLC increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 25.8% in the 3rd quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 10,180 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,899,000 after purchasing an additional 2,089 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 67,576 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,482,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.