Principal Financial Group Inc. Lowers Stock Position in Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. $ABG

Principal Financial Group Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 94,933 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,543 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Asbury Automotive Group were worth $23,206,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Asbury Automotive Group during the second quarter worth $77,544,000. Eminence Capital LP lifted its stake in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 36.0% during the 2nd quarter. Eminence Capital LP now owns 1,002,160 shares of the company’s stock worth $239,055,000 after purchasing an additional 265,539 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its stake in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 545.7% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 143,388 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,051,000 after purchasing an additional 121,183 shares during the last quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Asbury Automotive Group by 122.0% during the second quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 199,952 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,413,000 after purchasing an additional 109,896 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in Asbury Automotive Group by 49.1% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 278,760 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,561,000 after purchasing an additional 91,767 shares during the last quarter.

Asbury Automotive Group Trading Up 2.2%

Shares of Asbury Automotive Group stock opened at $225.36 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $240.11 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $239.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.98 and a beta of 0.82. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $201.68 and a 12-month high of $306.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90.

Asbury Automotive Group (NYSE:ABG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $6.67 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.70 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $4.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.93 billion. Asbury Automotive Group had a net margin of 2.73% and a return on equity of 14.63%. Asbury Automotive Group’s quarterly revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $7.26 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. will post 26.28 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have commented on ABG shares. Morgan Stanley set a $230.00 price target on shares of Asbury Automotive Group in a research report on Monday, December 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Asbury Automotive Group from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Zacks Research cut shares of Asbury Automotive Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Asbury Automotive Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on Asbury Automotive Group from $250.00 to $230.00 and set a “reduce” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Asbury Automotive Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $247.57.

Key Stories Impacting Asbury Automotive Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management signaled a sustained tech-driven investment plan — Asbury said it will run about $250M of annual capital expenditures through 2027 as the Tekion rollout advances, which investors may view as a driver of long-term operational improvement. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Company posted record 2025 revenue and year-over-year revenue growth, a sign of topline momentum despite margin pressures. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings materials and the full call transcript provide management commentary and slides for investors to model the Tekion rollout timing and capex phasing; these details will shape how quickly benefits offset higher spending. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 results missed consensus: EPS of $6.67 missed estimates by $0.03 and revenue came in below consensus (reported $4.68B vs. estimates near $4.9B), driven in part by weaker gross profit on new-vehicle sales — a short-term profitability headwind. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: EPS declined vs. prior-year quarter (from $7.26 to $6.67), and margin compression increases near-term execution risk as higher capex ramps — factors that could cap multiples until margins stabilize. Article Title

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.