Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Forecast for GPI Earnings

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) – Zacks Research lowered their Q1 2028 earnings estimates for Group 1 Automotive in a report issued on Monday, April 6th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will earn $13.22 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $13.74. The consensus estimate for Group 1 Automotive’s current full-year earnings is $41.00 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Group 1 Automotive’s FY2028 earnings at $51.84 EPS.

GPI has been the topic of several other research reports. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $460.00 to $400.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Group 1 Automotive from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $370.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, February 20th. Evercore initiated coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $500.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $490.00 to $420.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Group 1 Automotive currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $442.63.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Up 2.5%

Shares of NYSE:GPI opened at $332.21 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $328.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $381.46. The stock has a market cap of $3.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 0.88. Group 1 Automotive has a fifty-two week low of $292.44 and a fifty-two week high of $488.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $8.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.36 by ($0.87). The business had revenue of $5.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.71 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a return on equity of 17.39% and a net margin of 1.44%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $10.02 EPS.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd were paid a $0.55 dividend. This is an increase from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. Group 1 Automotive’s payout ratio is currently 8.80%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP increased its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 177.2% in the third quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP now owns 9,986 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,369,000 after purchasing an additional 6,384 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 22.2% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 184,732 shares of the company’s stock valued at $80,822,000 after purchasing an additional 33,542 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 10.6% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 131,085 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,350,000 after purchasing an additional 12,566 shares during the last quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the third quarter worth approximately $2,538,000. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 8.4% during the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 48,517 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,226,000 after acquiring an additional 3,766 shares during the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Group 1 Automotive News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains constructive with a “Moderate Buy” aggregate rating, indicating analyst sentiment still favors the shares despite recent revisions. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Group 1 scheduled its Q1 2026 results release for April 30 (pre‑market) and will host a management call at 10:00 a.m. — a near‑term catalyst that could drive volatility depending on guidance and used/new vehicle trends. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup cut its price target from $490 to $420 while keeping a “Buy” rating — a notable downward revision that reduces analyst upside and may weigh on sentiment. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays trimmed its price target from $470 to $455 but retained an “Overweight” rating — another analyst downgrade to watch for impact on short‑term momentum. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut Q1 and FY2028 EPS estimates (Q1 to $13.22 and FY2028 to $51.84), signaling lower forward earnings expectations that could pressure valuation if other analysts follow. Read More.

Group 1 Automotive Company Profile

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.