Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Shares Sold by Gotham Asset Management LLC

Gotham Asset Management LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 67.6% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 863 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,798 shares during the quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $364,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 119.4% during the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 68 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 31 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at $66,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 59.3% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 188 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. 99.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Citigroup raised their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $463.00 to $495.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $460.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Guggenheim cut Group 1 Automotive from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $454.43.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction on Monday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $405.57, for a total value of $654,184.41. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 8,260 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,350,008.20. The trade was a 16.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

GPI opened at $440.55 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.99 and a beta of 0.94. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $405.62 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $424.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 12-month low of $279.86 and a 12-month high of $490.09.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $10.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.68 by $0.49. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.09% and a net margin of 2.47%. The company had revenue of $5.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $9.49 EPS. Group 1 Automotive’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 earnings per share for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Monday, June 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.45%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.61%.

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.