Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Shares Sold by Sei Investments Co.

Sei Investments Co. reduced its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 7.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,905 shares of the company’s stock after selling 493 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co.’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $2,489,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in GPI. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 70.4% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 121 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings 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 purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $66,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 59.3% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 188 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

NYSE:GPI opened at $380.26 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $436.56 and a 200-day simple moving average of $414.06. 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 cap of $5.04 billion, a PE ratio of 10.35 and a beta of 1.05. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1-year low of $262.31 and a 1-year high of $490.09.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its earnings results 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%. On average, equities 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 given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.53%. This is a positive change from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s payout ratio is presently 5.44%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on 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. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price target for the company. Finally, 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. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus 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.