Cynosure Group LLC Sells 283 Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Cynosure Group LLC decreased its position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 29.6% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 674 shares of the company’s stock after selling 283 shares during the quarter. Cynosure Group LLC’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $284,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPI. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 25.6% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 152 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter valued at $66,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 59.3% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 188 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Shares of GPI opened at $372.55 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 1.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.93 billion, a PE ratio of 10.14 and a beta of 1.05. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $437.95 and a 200 day simple moving average of $413.95. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 52-week low of $262.31 and a 52-week high of $490.09.

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%. Sell-side analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a $0.50 dividend. This is an increase from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.54%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on GPI shares. Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $460.00 price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price target on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $450.33.

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.