Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Issues Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.44 EPS

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $9.80 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.36 by $0.44, Yahoo Finance reports. The firm had revenue of $4.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.68 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 3.03% and a return on equity of 20.87%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $11.73 EPS.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

Shares of Group 1 Automotive stock traded down $4.17 on Friday, reaching $332.98. The stock had a trading volume of 28,344 shares, compared to its average volume of 134,652. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 1.04. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $303.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $287.04. The stock has a market cap of $4.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.35. Group 1 Automotive has a fifty-two week low of $228.84 and a fifty-two week high of $340.99.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 3rd were given a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is 4.44%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GPI has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Bank of America lowered their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $315.00 to $310.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Finally, Guggenheim upgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $305.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $329.17.

Insider Activity at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, VP Edward Mckissic sold 170 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction on Monday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $318.92, for a total value of $54,216.40. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 6,082 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,939,671.44. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 2,437 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $309.61, for a total value of $754,519.57. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 22,430 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,944,552.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Edward Mckissic sold 170 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $318.92, for a total transaction of $54,216.40. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 6,082 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,939,671.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 4,007 shares of company stock worth $1,221,218. 1.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.