Factorial Partners LLC Purchases 600 Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Factorial Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 9,900 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the quarter. Group 1 Automotive accounts for about 2.2% of Factorial Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Factorial Partners LLC’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $3,792,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in GPI. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the first quarter worth $887,000. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the second quarter valued at about $452,000. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the first quarter worth about $1,037,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 22.0% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 639,142 shares of the company’s stock worth $190,004,000 after buying an additional 115,143 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James & Associates boosted its position in Group 1 Automotive by 8.3% during the 2nd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 40,541 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,052,000 after acquiring an additional 3,095 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Group 1 Automotive

In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Edward Mckissic sold 79 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $374.01, for a total transaction of $29,546.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 6,259 shares in the company, valued at $2,340,928.59. This trade represents a 1.25 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on GPI. Stephens began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $394.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley raised Group 1 Automotive from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $285.00 to $430.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. StockNews.com upgraded Group 1 Automotive from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $397.80.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Down 0.2 %

GPI opened at $401.26 on Wednesday. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $255.73 and a fifty-two week high of $422.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 1.00. The stock has a market cap of $5.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.69 and a beta of 1.33. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $373.87 and its 200 day moving average is $340.54.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $9.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.87 by $0.03. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.49% and a net margin of 2.68%. The firm had revenue of $5.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $12.07 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 38.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, November 12th that allows the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 9.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.47%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. Group 1 Automotive’s payout ratio is currently 5.01%.

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.