Quantbot Technologies LP Purchases 173 Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Quantbot Technologies LP lifted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 51.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 507 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 173 shares during the quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $214,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in GPI. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its holdings in 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 last quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter worth $384,000. Xponance Inc. boosted its position 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 worth $535,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners grew its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 2,405 shares during the period. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 74.7% during the fourth quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,237 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,629,000 after purchasing an additional 2,667 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

NYSE GPI opened at $376.32 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 1.03. The stock has a market cap of $4.98 billion, a price-to-earnings 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 $413.40. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 52-week low of $262.31 and a 52-week high of $490.09.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. 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. Shareholders 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.53%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.44%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on GPI shares. 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. 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 analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $450.33.

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.