Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Sets New 52-Week Low – Here’s Why

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $249.52 and last traded at $251.2420, with a volume of 48223 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $254.95.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on GPI shares. UBS Group reduced their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $338.00 to $330.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 10th. Evercore set a $360.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. DA Davidson set a $425.00 price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners set a $420.00 price target on Group 1 Automotive in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $373.38.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Down 1.9%

The firm has a market cap of $2.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.41, a PEG ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a 50 day moving average of $286.77 and a 200 day moving average of $309.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 1.02.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $9.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $10.60 by ($0.99). The business had revenue of $5.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.66 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 1.31% and a return on equity of 15.66%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $10.82 EPS. Analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 38.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st were given a $0.55 dividend. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 1st. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 9.16%.

Insider Transactions at Group 1 Automotive

In other Group 1 Automotive news, major shareholder Conifer Management, L.L.C. acquired 36,647 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $280.86 per share, with a total value of $10,292,676.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 1,446,640 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $406,303,310.40. The trade was a 2.60% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Over the last quarter, insiders purchased 254,380 shares of company stock valued at $72,603,674. Company insiders own 2.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Anchor Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 112.0% in the 2nd quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 212 shares of the company’s stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 112 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 352.3% in the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 2,786 shares of the company’s stock valued at $811,000 after buying an additional 2,170 shares in the last quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP lifted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 81.4% during the second quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 26,173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,621,000 after acquiring an additional 11,748 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 2nd quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in Group 1 Automotive by 444.7% in the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 256 shares of the company’s stock valued at $75,000 after buying an additional 209 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Company Profile

Group 1 Automotive, Inc is an international automotive retailer that operates franchised dealerships in the United States and the United Kingdom. The company sells new and used vehicles from a broad range of manufacturers, including domestic, Asian and European brands.

In addition to vehicle sales, Group 1 Automotive provides automotive maintenance and repair services, sells replacement parts and accessories, and offers financing, insurance and other related products. Its dealerships also support customers through collision-repair operations and online vehicle purchasing tools.

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, Group 1 Automotive has expanded through dealership acquisitions and organic growth.