Envestnet Asset Management Inc. Trims Position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lowered its holdings in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 7.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 47,860 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,723 shares during the quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. owned 0.36% of Group 1 Automotive worth $20,172,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in GPI. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 70.4% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 121 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Group 1 Automotive by 25.6% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 152 shares of the company’s stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $66,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its position in Group 1 Automotive by 59.3% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 188 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on GPI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $460.00 price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $450.33.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Shares of Group 1 Automotive stock opened at $398.42 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.84 and a beta of 1.05. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $426.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $415.00. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 12 month low of $262.31 and a 12 month high of $490.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 EPS 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%. As a group, analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

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

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.