Choreo LLC Trims Stock Position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Choreo LLC lessened its holdings in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 21.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 805 shares of the company’s stock after selling 215 shares during the period. Choreo LLC’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $337,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Tectonic Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $522,000. Hodges Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 67.7% during the fourth quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 36,821 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,520,000 after buying an additional 14,861 shares during the period. Financial Strategies Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 13.6% during the fourth quarter. Financial Strategies Group Inc. now owns 1,462 shares of the company’s stock valued at $615,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 22.3% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 6,571 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,770,000 after buying an additional 1,196 shares during the period. Finally, R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $425.00 to $420.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $442.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $460.00 price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price target for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Group 1 Automotive currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $447.83.

Insider Transactions at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, Director Lincoln Pereira sold 6,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $426.68, for a total transaction of $2,560,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 98,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,013,899.56. This trade represents a 5.74 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Group 1 Automotive stock opened at $484.93 on Friday. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 52-week low of $258.77 and a 52-week high of $489.99. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $437.06 and a 200-day moving average of $395.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.20 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $8.77 by $1.25. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 18.25%. As a group, analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 40.86 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.41%. This is a positive change from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is presently 5.12%.

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

Group 1 Automotive 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.