Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. $ABG Shares Bought by River Road Asset Management LLC

River Road Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) by 5.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 211,054 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,892 shares during the quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Asbury Automotive Group were worth $49,076,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ABG. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Asbury Automotive Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Asbury Automotive Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Quarry LP lifted its position in Asbury Automotive Group by 319.2% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 109 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Asbury Automotive Group by 52.4% in the 4th quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in Asbury Automotive Group by 69.2% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 132 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the period.

Asbury Automotive Group Stock Up 3.4%

ABG stock opened at $196.55 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $196.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $214.87. The company has a market capitalization of $3.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.96, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.74. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $172.01 and a twelve month high of $274.50.

Asbury Automotive Group (NYSE:ABG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $5.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.62 by ($0.25). Asbury Automotive Group had a net margin of 3.05% and a return on equity of 13.39%. The company had revenue of $4.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $6.82 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down .9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. will post 25.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director B. Christopher Disantis bought 157 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $182.31 per share, for a total transaction of $28,622.67. Following the purchase, the director owned 6,400 shares in the company, valued at $1,166,784. This trade represents a 2.51% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.75% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on ABG. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Asbury Automotive Group from $260.00 to $212.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Asbury Automotive Group from $235.00 to $220.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $242.00 price objective on shares of Asbury Automotive Group in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Morgan Stanley set a $220.00 price objective on shares of Asbury Automotive Group in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, UBS Group began coverage on Asbury Automotive Group in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $202.00 target price for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $232.00.

Asbury Automotive Group Profile

Asbury Automotive Group, Inc (NYSE:ABG) is one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States. Headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, the company operates a network of franchised dealerships representing a diverse portfolio of automotive brands. Its core business activities include the sale of new and pre-owned vehicles, as well as the provision of vehicle finance, insurance and protection products to retail customers.

In addition to retail sales, Asbury offers a comprehensive suite of after-sales services, from scheduled maintenance and certified collision repair to parts distribution.