Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) VP Sells $421,188.00 in Stock

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.99, for a total transaction of $421,188.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 9,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,419,344.58. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

NYSE:GPI opened at $353.56 on Monday. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1-year low of $228.84 and a 1-year high of $373.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.26. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $315.30 and a 200-day simple moving average of $294.73. The firm has a market cap of $4.78 billion, a PE ratio of 8.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.35.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $9.80 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.36 by $0.44. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 3.03% and a return on equity of 20.53%. The firm had revenue of $4.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.68 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $11.73 earnings per share. Group 1 Automotive’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 38.28 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Investors of record on Monday, September 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.53%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.44%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its position in Group 1 Automotive by 22.0% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 639,142 shares of the company’s stock worth $190,004,000 after purchasing an additional 115,143 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter worth approximately $46,923,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 150,754 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,941,000 after buying an additional 614 shares during the period. Woodson Capital Management LP grew its stake 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 buying an additional 76,102 shares during the period. Finally, Hennessy Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 18.1% during the second 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 during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $310.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $343.00.

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.