Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Buys 6,730 Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 69.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 16,430 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,730 shares during the quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $4,801,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Principal Securities Inc. bought a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Planned Solutions Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter worth $50,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 44.3% in the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 176 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas increased its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 1,616.7% during the fourth quarter. USA Financial Formulas now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,000 after buying an additional 194 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Group 1 Automotive by 37.4% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 213 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Up 3.5 %

Shares of GPI stock opened at $337.15 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.96, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.35. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $303.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $286.69. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 1 year low of $228.84 and a 1 year high of $338.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.27.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $9.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.36 by $0.44. The company had revenue of $4.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.68 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 20.87% and a net margin of 3.03%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $11.73 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 38.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 3rd were given a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is presently 4.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GPI has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Guggenheim upgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $305.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th. Bank of America lowered their target price on Group 1 Automotive from $445.00 to $435.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $315.00 to $310.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $329.17.

Insider Transactions at Group 1 Automotive

In related news, CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 2,437 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $309.61, for a total transaction of $754,519.57. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 22,430 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,944,552.30. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CFO Daniel James Mchenry sold 2,437 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $309.61, for a total transaction of $754,519.57. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 22,430 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,944,552.30. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Michael David Jones sold 1,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.63, for a total value of $412,482.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 11,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,398,557.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 4,007 shares of company stock valued at $1,221,218. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.