Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) is Woodson Capital Management LP’s 7th Largest Position

Woodson Capital Management LP boosted its position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 165.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 66,398 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 41,398 shares during the period. Group 1 Automotive comprises approximately 4.2% of Woodson Capital Management LP’s holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Woodson Capital Management LP owned 0.48% of Group 1 Automotive worth $20,234,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Seven Eight Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter worth $1,562,000. RK Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 36.6% during the 4th quarter. RK Capital Management LLC now owns 29,115 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,873,000 after buying an additional 7,805 shares during the last quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter worth $2,203,000. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 209.0% during the 4th quarter. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,029 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,228,000 after buying an additional 2,725 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC now owns 9,327 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,842,000 after buying an additional 177 shares during the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Up 1.3 %

NYSE:GPI traded up $3.91 on Friday, reaching $308.08. The stock had a trading volume of 123,773 shares, compared to its average volume of 120,088. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The company has a 50-day moving average of $289.67 and a 200 day moving average of $282.18. The stock has a market cap of $4.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.38. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 12-month low of $219.25 and a 12-month high of $323.95.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $9.49 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.52 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $4.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.30 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 3.23% and a return on equity of 22.45%. On average, research analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 38.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 3rd will be given a $0.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 3rd. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.61%. Group 1 Automotive’s payout ratio is currently 4.44%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Group 1 Automotive

In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $294.63, for a total value of $412,482.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 11,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,398,557.05. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 2,437 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $309.61, for a total transaction of $754,519.57. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 22,430 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,944,552.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.63, for a total transaction of $412,482.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 11,535 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,398,557.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on GPI. StockNews.com downgraded Group 1 Automotive from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $315.00 to $310.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $200.00 to $255.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $330.00 price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. Finally, Guggenheim raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $305.00 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $330.83.

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.