Intrust Bank NA Raises Stock Holdings in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Intrust Bank NA increased its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 26.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 944 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 196 shares during the period. Intrust Bank NA’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $288,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 159.6% during the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 122 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Gladius Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 3rd quarter worth about $37,000. Planned Solutions Inc. bought a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter valued at about $50,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at about $53,000. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 3rd quarter worth about $84,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

GPI opened at $293.77 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.97 billion, a PE ratio of 6.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.38. The business’s 50-day moving average is $275.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $275.93. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1 year low of $214.25 and a 1 year high of $310.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.33.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The company reported $9.50 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $10.44 by ($0.94). The firm had revenue of $4.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.41 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 3.23% and a return on equity of 22.45%. Group 1 Automotive’s revenue was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $10.86 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 39.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 1st were given a $0.47 dividend. This is a boost from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.64%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on GPI. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $325.00 to $315.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 17th. Morgan Stanley raised Group 1 Automotive from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $200.00 to $255.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. Guggenheim upgraded 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. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $330.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Tuesday, February 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $331.67.

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.