Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Price Target Lowered to $435.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) had its price target reduced by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $495.00 to $435.00 in a report published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently weighed in on GPI. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $460.00 price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $500.00 target price on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $450.33.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Down 3.8 %

Shares of Group 1 Automotive stock opened at $394.32 on Thursday. Group 1 Automotive has a twelve month low of $262.31 and a twelve month high of $490.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $444.23 and a 200-day moving average price of $412.78. The firm has a market cap of $5.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.73 and a beta of 1.33.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.77 by $1.25. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.09% and a net margin of 2.47%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive will post 41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.51%. This is a positive change from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s payout ratio is presently 5.44%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 119.4% during the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 68 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Group 1 Automotive by 70.4% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 121 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 25.6% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 152 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter worth about $66,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

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.