Analysts Set Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) PT at $478.88

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eleven analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $478.8750.

GPI has been the subject of several recent research reports. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, September 25th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Group 1 Automotive from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 30th. Zacks Research lowered Group 1 Automotive from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $470.00 to $485.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 14th. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $510.00 price objective on the stock.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

NYSE GPI opened at $404.15 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $412.29 and a 200-day simple moving average of $432.89. Group 1 Automotive has a 52-week low of $355.91 and a 52-week high of $490.09.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The company reported $10.45 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $10.64 by ($0.19). The company had revenue of $5.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.67 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 1.67% and a return on equity of 18.08%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $9.90 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive will post 41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 1st. Group 1 Automotive’s payout ratio is presently 7.00%.

Group 1 Automotive announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, November 11th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 10.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPI. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Elequin Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 1st quarter worth $29,000. MAI Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 131.3% during the 2nd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 74 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 90.5% in the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 80 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 2nd quarter worth $43,000. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.