Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $10.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.77 by $1.25, Zacks reports. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 18.49%.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

Group 1 Automotive stock traded down $11.74 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $447.07. The stock had a trading volume of 26,058 shares, compared to its average volume of 108,196. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $428.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $384.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The company has a market capitalization of $5.95 billion, a PE ratio of 11.90 and a beta of 1.36. Group 1 Automotive has a 52-week low of $255.73 and a 52-week high of $458.82.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd were issued a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.42%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 2nd. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is currently 5.01%.

Insider Activity at Group 1 Automotive

In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Edward Mckissic sold 79 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $374.01, for a total value of $29,546.79. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 6,259 shares in the company, valued at $2,340,928.59. This trade represents a 1.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Lincoln Pereira sold 6,000 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $426.68, for a total value of $2,560,080.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 98,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,013,899.56. This represents a 5.74 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Group 1 Automotive announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, November 12th that allows the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 9.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $425.00 to $420.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, December 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price target for the company. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $442.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, StockNews.com raised Group 1 Automotive from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Group 1 Automotive has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $436.83.

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.