Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Receives $447.14 Consensus Price Target from Brokerages

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the ten brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $450.00.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $455.00 to $470.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $490.00 to $420.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Benchmark raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $425.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Evercore assumed coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $500.00 price objective on the stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

Group 1 Automotive stock opened at $356.86 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.21. Group 1 Automotive has a 1-year low of $292.44 and a 1-year high of $488.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.87. The company’s 50-day moving average is $329.20 and its 200 day moving average is $368.49.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $8.66 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.82 by ($0.16). Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 16.63% and a net margin of 1.46%.The firm had revenue of $5.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.42 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $10.17 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive will post 42.29 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd were paid a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Group 1 Automotive’s payout ratio is currently 8.40%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. WCM Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 1st quarter worth about $5,049,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 1.5% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 688,416 shares of the company’s stock worth $227,612,000 after acquiring an additional 10,100 shares in the last quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System grew its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 13.0% in the 1st quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 23,756 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,854,000 after acquiring an additional 2,740 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 7,734 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,556,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 51.6% in the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 78,794 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,064,000 after acquiring an additional 26,822 shares in the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Group 1 Automotive Company Profile

Group 1 Automotive, Inc (NYSE: GPI) is an international automotive retailer headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company operates an extensive network of franchised dealerships, offering new and pre-owned vehicles from leading domestic and import manufacturers. In addition to vehicle sales, Group 1 Automotive provides a full complement of aftersales services, including finance and insurance products, parts distribution, collision repair centers and vehicle maintenance.

Founded in 1997, Group 1 Automotive has grown through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to establish a presence across the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil.