Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Shares Down 3% – Time to Sell?

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) traded down 3% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $393.08 and last traded at $392.69. 25,748 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 82% from the average session volume of 144,230 shares. The stock had previously closed at $405.00.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $460.00 price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $450.33.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Down 2.8 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 1.03. The firm has a market cap of $5.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.72 and a beta of 1.05. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $428.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $414.92.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.77 by $1.25. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 18.09%. Research analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This is a positive change from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.51%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.44%.

Institutional Trading of Group 1 Automotive

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position 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 worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 70.4% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 121 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Group 1 Automotive by 25.6% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 152 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,000 after buying an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter worth about $66,000. Institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

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.