Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) Shares Sold by Prudential Financial Inc.

Prudential Financial Inc. decreased its stake in Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) by 3.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 25,214 shares of the company’s stock after selling 774 shares during the quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. owned approximately 0.13% of Asbury Automotive Group worth $6,128,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of ABG. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Asbury Automotive Group by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 801,391 shares of the company’s stock worth $191,204,000 after buying an additional 3,672 shares during the last quarter. Madison Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Asbury Automotive Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $82,426,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 211,766 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,465,000 after purchasing an additional 3,273 shares in the last quarter. Magnolia Group LLC increased its position in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Magnolia Group LLC now owns 149,123 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,241,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC raised its stake in Asbury Automotive Group by 10.8% in the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 123,369 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,982,000 after purchasing an additional 11,995 shares during the last quarter.

Asbury Automotive Group Price Performance

ABG stock opened at $217.75 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $266.44 and its two-hundred day moving average is $250.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 0.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.12 and a beta of 1.22. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $206.62 and a 1 year high of $312.56.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Asbury Automotive Group news, COO Daniel Clara sold 1,217 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $296.64, for a total value of $361,010.88. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 3,747 shares in the company, valued at $1,111,510.08. This trade represents a 24.52 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Asbury Automotive Group from $290.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Craig Hallum cut shares of Asbury Automotive Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Stephens raised their target price on shares of Asbury Automotive Group from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $263.00.

Asbury Automotive Group Profile

Asbury Automotive Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an automotive retailer in the United States. It offers a range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicles; and vehicle repair and maintenance services, replacement parts, and collision repair services.