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

Vanguard Group Inc. decreased its stake in shares of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) by 1.4% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 2,211,016 shares of the company’s stock after selling 31,472 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 0.11% of Asbury Automotive Group worth $537,343,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

ABG has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Craig Hallum downgraded Asbury Automotive Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Asbury Automotive Group from $290.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Stephens raised their price objective on Asbury Automotive Group from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $263.00.

Insider Transactions at Asbury Automotive Group

In related news, COO Daniel Clara sold 1,217 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $296.64, for a total transaction of $361,010.88. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 3,747 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,111,510.08. The trade was a 24.52 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.53% of the company’s stock.

Asbury Automotive Group Trading Up 1.2 %

ABG stock opened at $220.78 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $265.96 and its 200 day moving average is $250.86. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $206.62 and a 12-month high of $312.56. The stock has a market cap of $4.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.26 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98.

About Asbury Automotive Group

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.