Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Announces Earnings Results

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $9.90 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.87 by $0.03, Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $5.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.06 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.83% and a net margin of 2.68%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $12.07 earnings per share.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Down 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:GPI traded down $1.98 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $362.34. 136,270 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 134,789. Group 1 Automotive has a 1 year low of $255.73 and a 1 year high of $393.93. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $365.24 and a 200-day moving average price of $330.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.26.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 2nd were given a dividend of $0.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.52%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.01%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.99, for a total value of $421,188.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 9,742 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,419,344.58. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GPI has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Stephens initiated coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $394.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com raised Group 1 Automotive from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. Bank of America decreased their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $360.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised Group 1 Automotive from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $285.00 to $430.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $396.80.

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.