Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Director Steven Mizell Sells 550 Shares of Company Stock

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Director Steven Mizell sold 550 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.52, for a total transaction of $143,286.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 33 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,597.16. The trade was a 94.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

NYSE GPI opened at $260.61 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $254.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $307.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.25. The company has a market cap of $3.11 billion, a PE ratio of 7.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.92. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1-year low of $224.65 and a 1-year high of $429.00.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The company reported $9.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.50 by ($0.14). The business had revenue of $5.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.58 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 15.18% and a net margin of 1.75%. The business’s revenue was down 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $10.45 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 37.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st were issued a dividend of $0.55 per share. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 1st. Group 1 Automotive’s payout ratio is currently 6.96%.

Group 1 Automotive News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Group 1 Automotive this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays lowered its price target from $320 to $300 but maintained an overweight rating, implying meaningful upside from recent levels. The revised target suggests the firm still expects Group 1 Automotive’s valuation and operating performance to improve. Barclays stock recommendation
• Positive Sentiment: Some investors are refocusing on GPI’s potentially undervalued profile after the earnings report. The company remains profitable and trades at a relatively low earnings multiple, which could support the stock if automotive demand and margins stabilize. Group 1 Automotive Q3 results
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS reduced its price target from $271 to $259 and retained a neutral rating, signaling limited near-term upside at the current valuation. UBS Group stock recommendation
• Neutral Sentiment: New disclosures about the stockholder agreement with Conifer highlight potential governance, capital-allocation and shareholder-activism risks. The agreement may influence future strategic decisions but does not yet represent a direct change to operations. Conifer stockholder agreement analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter EPS of $9.36 missed the $9.50 consensus, while revenue of $5.40 billion fell short of expectations and declined 6.7% year over year. EPS also decreased from $10.45 in the prior-year quarter, reinforcing concerns about slowing sales and profitability. Group 1 Automotive Q3 results and margins
• Negative Sentiment: Director Steven Mizell sold 550 shares for approximately $143,286, leaving him with only 33 shares. Separately, SVP Gillian Hobson sold 2,000 shares worth about $516,480, reducing her holdings by roughly 21%. The sales may weigh on sentiment, although they do not necessarily indicate deteriorating fundamentals. Group 1 Automotive insider sale filing

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on GPI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $275.00 to $260.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Seaport Research Partners set a $420.00 price objective on Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Morgan Stanley cut Group 1 Automotive from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $300.00 to $232.00 in a report on Monday, October 5th. Barclays cut their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, KeyCorp set a $425.00 target price on Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $338.11.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the second quarter worth about $593,420,000. Conifer Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the second quarter valued at about $281,561,390. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 1.5% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 688,416 shares of the company’s stock valued at $227,612,000 after acquiring an additional 10,100 shares during the period. Lakewood Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $72,098,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $57,174,000. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Group 1 Automotive Company Profile

Group 1 Automotive, Inc is an international automotive retailer headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company operates dealerships that sell new and used automobiles and light trucks from a broad range of manufacturers.

In addition to vehicle sales, Group 1 Automotive provides automotive financing and insurance products, vehicle maintenance and repair, collision services, replacement parts, and other related services. Its dealerships also market vehicles through digital retailing platforms.

Founded in 1997, Group 1 Automotive serves customers through a network of dealerships and automotive service locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.