Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the nine ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $232.00.

A number of brokerages have weighed in on ABG. Morgan Stanley set a $220.00 price target on shares of Asbury Automotive Group in a report on Thursday, May 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased 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 report on Thursday, May 7th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Asbury Automotive Group from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Asbury Automotive Group from $260.00 to $212.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $242.00 price target on shares of Asbury Automotive Group in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd.

Asbury Automotive Group Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of ABG opened at $201.22 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $3.75 billion, a PE ratio of 7.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.74. The company’s fifty day moving average is $195.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $212.88. Asbury Automotive Group has a fifty-two week low of $172.01 and a fifty-two week high of $274.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78.

Asbury Automotive Group (NYSE:ABG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $5.37 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.62 by ($0.25). The company had revenue of $4.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.37 billion. Asbury Automotive Group had a net margin of 3.05% and a return on equity of 13.39%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $6.82 EPS. Analysts forecast that Asbury Automotive Group will post 25.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Asbury Automotive Group

In other Asbury Automotive Group news, Director B. Christopher Disantis bought 157 shares of Asbury Automotive Group stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 acquisition, the director owned 6,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,166,784. The trade was a 2.51% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.75% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Asbury Automotive Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Argent Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 54.6% during the 1st quarter. Argent Capital Management LLC now owns 6,301 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,231,000 after acquiring an additional 2,226 shares in the last quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 10.2% during the 1st quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. now owns 53,267 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,409,000 after acquiring an additional 4,936 shares in the last quarter. Seven Six Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 17.0% during the 1st quarter. Seven Six Capital Management LLC now owns 26,158 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,112,000 after acquiring an additional 3,800 shares in the last quarter. Amundi lifted its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 60.4% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 4,078 shares of the company’s stock valued at $797,000 after acquiring an additional 1,535 shares in the last quarter. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 25.3% during the 1st quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 22,051 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,309,000 after acquiring an additional 4,449 shares in the last quarter.

About Asbury Automotive Group

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.