Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Shares Purchased by Boston Partners

Boston Partners grew its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 3.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 74,844 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,405 shares during the quarter. Boston Partners’ holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $31,653,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in GPI. Assetmark Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 51.9% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 82 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 8.0% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 35,298 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,521,000 after purchasing an additional 2,616 shares during the period. KBC Group NV lifted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 20.9% during the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 405 shares of the company’s stock worth $155,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 3rd quarter worth $243,000. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 3rd quarter worth $3,870,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Up 2.3 %

Shares of NYSE GPI opened at $399.62 on Thursday. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 12-month low of $262.31 and a 12-month high of $490.09. The company has a market cap of $5.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.87 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $447.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $411.42.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a $0.50 dividend. This is a boost from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.50%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is presently 5.44%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on GPI. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price target on the stock. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $460.00 price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Guggenheim upped their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $442.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $460.33.

Group 1 Automotive Company Profile

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.