Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Given New $315.00 Price Target at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) had its price target lowered by equities researchers at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $325.00 to $315.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s target price points to a potential upside of 17.75% from the stock’s current price.

GPI has been the topic of a number of other research reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. Guggenheim upgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $305.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Group 1 Automotive from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $200.00 to $255.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $330.00 target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $331.67.

Group 1 Automotive Trading Down 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE GPI traded down $2.13 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $267.51. The stock had a trading volume of 55,752 shares, compared to its average volume of 133,177. The firm has a market cap of $3.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.42. Group 1 Automotive has a twelve month low of $214.25 and a twelve month high of $310.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 1.11. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $272.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $273.73.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The company reported $9.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.44 by ($0.94). The firm had revenue of $4.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.41 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 24.36% and a net margin of 3.34%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $10.86 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Group 1 Automotive will post 38.92 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Financial Management Professionals Inc. purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 159.6% during the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 122 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 54.6% during the third quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 252 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gladius Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the third quarter valued at about $37,000. 99.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.