Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Stock Position Cut by Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC

Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 48.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,955 shares of the company’s stock after selling 12,141 shares during the quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC owned about 0.10% of Group 1 Automotive worth $3,851,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Woodson Capital Management LP raised its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 114.6% during the first quarter. Woodson Capital Management LP now owns 142,500 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,643,000 after purchasing an additional 76,102 shares in the last quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 18.1% in the 2nd quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 108,500 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,255,000 after buying an additional 16,600 shares in the last quarter. Intrinsic Edge Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 66.4% in the fourth quarter. Intrinsic Edge Capital Management LLC now owns 84,968 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,893,000 after buying an additional 33,901 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at about $21,296,000. Finally, Clearbridge Investments LLC grew its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 2.4% during the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 62,681 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,317,000 after acquiring an additional 1,467 shares during the period. 99.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GPI opened at $385.94 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $356.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $315.54. The company has a market cap of $5.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.33. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 12-month low of $228.84 and a 12-month high of $393.93. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $9.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.36 by $0.44. The firm had revenue of $4.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.68 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 20.53% and a net margin of 3.03%. Group 1 Automotive’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $11.73 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 39.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 2nd were issued a $0.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.49%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is 4.44%.

Insider Transactions at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.99, for a total transaction of $421,188.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 9,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,419,344.58. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Stephens started coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $394.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 22nd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $360.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded Group 1 Automotive from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $285.00 to $430.00 in a report on Wednesday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $396.80.

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.