Metis Global Partners LLC Sells 400 Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Metis Global Partners LLC decreased its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 30.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 909 shares of the company’s stock after selling 400 shares during the quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $383,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Assetmark Inc. lifted its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 51.9% in the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 82 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the third quarter valued at $46,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 70.4% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 121 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

GPI stock opened at $446.11 on Thursday. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1-year low of $260.00 and a 1-year high of $490.09. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $448.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $407.76. The firm has a market cap of $5.91 billion, a PE ratio of 12.14 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $8.77 by $1.25. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 18.09%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 earnings per share for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a boost from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.45%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.44%.

Group 1 Automotive announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, November 12th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 9.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GPI has been the topic of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $495.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. StockNews.com raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $460.00 price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, December 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Guggenheim increased their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $442.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $460.33.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Lincoln Pereira sold 6,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $426.68, for a total value of $2,560,080.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 98,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,013,899.56. This trade represents a 5.74 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.