Intrust Bank NA Grows Holdings in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI)

Intrust Bank NA raised its position in Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) by 29.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,306 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 298 shares during the period. Intrust Bank NA’s holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $550,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 70.4% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 121 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 25.6% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 152 shares of the company’s stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter valued at $66,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 59.3% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 188 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Down 4.3 %

GPI opened at $376.32 on Friday. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 12 month low of $262.31 and a 12 month high of $490.09. The company has a market cap of $4.98 billion, a PE ratio of 10.24 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The company has a 50 day moving average of $442.80 and a 200 day moving average of $413.40.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.77 by $1.25. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 18.09% and a net margin of 2.47%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.53%. This is an increase from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio is presently 5.44%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GPI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $460.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price target on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $450.33.

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.