Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Shares Acquired by Clearbridge Investments LLC

Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 2.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 62,681 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,467 shares during the quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC owned 0.46% of Group 1 Automotive worth $18,317,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of GPI. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter worth $46,923,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 150,754 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,941,000 after buying an additional 614 shares during the last quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 14.0% in the 1st quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 91,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,856,000 after buying an additional 11,300 shares during the period. Intrinsic Edge Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 66.4% in the fourth quarter. Intrinsic Edge Capital Management LLC now owns 84,968 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,893,000 after buying an additional 33,901 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Boston Partners boosted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 66.3% in the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 79,598 shares of the company’s stock worth $23,819,000 after buying an additional 31,739 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Group 1 Automotive stock traded up $21.03 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $325.79. The company had a trading volume of 266,861 shares, compared to its average volume of 134,804. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 1.04. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $303.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $286.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.41 billion, a PE ratio of 7.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.35. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1-year low of $228.84 and a 1-year high of $338.00.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $9.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.52 by ($0.03). Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 3.23% and a return on equity of 22.45%. The company had revenue of $4.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.30 billion. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 38.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 17th. Investors of record on Monday, June 3rd were given a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.58%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s payout ratio is currently 4.44%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on GPI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $315.00 to $310.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Finally, Guggenheim raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $305.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $329.17.

Insider Buying and Selling at Group 1 Automotive

In other news, VP Edward Mckissic sold 170 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $318.92, for a total transaction of $54,216.40. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 6,082 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,939,671.44. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, VP Edward Mckissic sold 170 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $318.92, for a total value of $54,216.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 6,082 shares in the company, valued at $1,939,671.44. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 2,437 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $309.61, for a total value of $754,519.57. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 22,430 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,944,552.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 4,007 shares of company stock worth $1,221,218 in the last ninety days. 1.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.