999 Shares in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Purchased by Brevan Howard Capital Management LP

Brevan Howard Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 999 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $421,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Captrust Financial Advisors grew its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 571 shares of the company’s stock valued at $241,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 25.6% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 152 shares of the company’s stock valued at $64,000 after buying an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 119.4% in the 4th quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 68 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 13.4% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 346 shares of the company’s stock worth $146,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the period. Finally, HighPoint Advisor Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC now owns 1,536 shares of the company’s stock valued at $647,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

Shares of GPI opened at $430.20 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 52-week low of $279.86 and a 52-week high of $490.09. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $403.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $420.50. The company has a market capitalization of $5.56 billion, a PE ratio of 11.71 and a beta of 0.94.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $10.17 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.68 by $0.49. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.09% and a net margin of 2.47%. The firm had revenue of $5.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $9.49 EPS. Group 1 Automotive’s quarterly revenue was up 23.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.46%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This is a boost from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Group 1 Automotive’s payout ratio is currently 5.61%.

Insider Transactions at Group 1 Automotive

In other Group 1 Automotive news, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,613 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $405.57, for a total transaction of $654,184.41. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 8,260 shares in the company, valued at $3,350,008.20. This trade represents a 16.34 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GPI has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $460.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Guggenheim lowered their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $502.00 to $426.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $463.00 price target on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $449.86.

Group 1 Automotive 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.