Axxcess Wealth Management LLC Decreases Stake in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Axxcess Wealth Management LLC lowered its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 6.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 736 shares of the company’s stock after selling 50 shares during the quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $310,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Cibc World Markets Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter worth about $522,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 11.5% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,063 shares of the company’s stock worth $448,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC boosted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 69.2% in the 4th quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 990 shares of the company’s stock worth $417,000 after acquiring an additional 405 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 13.4% in 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, HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 19.0% in the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 2,047 shares of the company’s stock worth $863,000 after acquiring an additional 327 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

Shares of GPI opened at $399.90 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $446.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $411.78. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 52-week low of $262.31 and a 52-week high of $490.09. The firm has a market cap of $5.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.88 and a beta of 1.33. 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 (NYSE:GPI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.77 by $1.25. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.09% and a net margin of 2.47%. Analysts forecast 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. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a positive change from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.50%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is currently 5.44%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GPI has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $420.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price target for the company. Finally, Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $460.00 price target on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $460.33.

About Group 1 Automotive

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.