Conifer Management, L.L.C. Acquires 83,121 Shares of Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) Stock

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPIGet Free Report) major shareholder Conifer Management, L.L.C. bought 83,121 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $282.63 per share, with a total value of $23,492,488.23. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider directly owned 1,305,481 shares in the company, valued at approximately $368,968,095.03. The trade was a 6.80% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Large shareholders that own more than 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Conifer Management, L.L.C. also recently made the following trade(s):

  • On Friday, September 4th, Conifer Management, L.L.C. bought 57,159 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $300.15 per share, with a total value of $17,156,273.85.
  • On Wednesday, September 2nd, Conifer Management, L.L.C. purchased 26,561 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock. The shares were purchased at an average price of $276.03 per share, for a total transaction of $7,331,632.83.
  • On Tuesday, September 1st, Conifer Management, L.L.C. purchased 3,539 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $269.66 per share, for a total transaction of $954,326.74.

Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GPI opened at $287.57 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a twelve month low of $249.54 and a twelve month high of $488.39. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $289.34 and a two-hundred day moving average of $312.30. The stock has a market cap of $3.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.98, a P/E/G ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 0.82.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPIGet Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $9.61 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $10.60 by ($0.99). The firm had revenue of $5.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.66 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 1.31% and a return on equity of 15.66%. Group 1 Automotive’s revenue was down 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $10.82 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 38.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a dividend of $0.55 per share. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 9.16%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 366,770.5% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 25,431,464 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,002,195,000 after purchasing an additional 25,424,532 shares in the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 25,782.6% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 3,867,902 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,126,217,000 after buying an additional 3,852,958 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Group 1 Automotive during the 2nd quarter valued at $593,420,000. Conifer Management L.L.C. purchased a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the second quarter worth $281,561,390. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter worth $98,125,000. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of Group 1 Automotive from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $380.00 to $320.00 in a report on Friday, July 31st. Seaport Research Partners set a $420.00 price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Morgan Stanley restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $300.00 target price (down from $400.00) on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on Group 1 Automotive from $435.00 to $365.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $373.38.

View Our Latest Report on GPI

Key Stories Impacting Group 1 Automotive

Here are the key news stories impacting Group 1 Automotive this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Major shareholder increases GPI stake: Conifer Management purchased 57,159 shares at an average of $300.15, worth approximately $17.2 million, increasing its ownership by 4.38% to 1.36 million shares. It also bought 83,121 shares at an average of $282.63, a purchase valued at approximately $23.5 million and representing a 6.80% increase in its position. The buying signals confidence from a significant shareholder. Conifer Management share purchases
  • Neutral Sentiment: New senior notes priced: Group 1 priced $1.25 billion of senior unsecured notes—$625 million due in 2032 at 6.250% and $625 million due in 2035 at 6.625%. The proceeds may provide capital for corporate needs or growth, but the transaction’s impact will depend on how the funds are used. Group 1 Automotive senior notes pricing
  • Negative Sentiment: Financing adds leverage and interest expense: The debt issuance comes as GPI already reports a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03 and weak liquidity ratios. Annual coupon payments on the new notes will total roughly $80.5 million, potentially pressuring future earnings and cash flow.
  • Neutral Sentiment: One cited article concerns Lithia Motors, not GPI: Lithia’s record quarter, dividend increase and expanded buybacks may support sentiment toward auto retailers generally, but it does not provide a direct fundamental update for Group 1 Automotive. Lithia’s record quarter

Group 1 Automotive Company Profile

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Group 1 Automotive, Inc (NYSE: GPI) is an international automotive retailer headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company operates an extensive network of franchised dealerships, offering new and pre-owned vehicles from leading domestic and import manufacturers. In addition to vehicle sales, Group 1 Automotive provides a full complement of aftersales services, including finance and insurance products, parts distribution, collision repair centers and vehicle maintenance.

Founded in 1997, Group 1 Automotive has grown through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to establish a presence across the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil.

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