South Dakota Investment Council Has $578,000 Position in Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. $ABG

South Dakota Investment Council trimmed its position in Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) by 89.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,365 shares of the company’s stock after selling 20,379 shares during the quarter. South Dakota Investment Council’s holdings in Asbury Automotive Group were worth $578,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 69.2% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 132 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 64.8% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 104.2% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 337 shares of the company’s stock valued at $80,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in Asbury Automotive Group by 466.7% during the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 442 shares of the company’s stock worth $107,000 after acquiring an additional 364 shares during the period. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Asbury Automotive Group by 17.8% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 470 shares of the company’s stock worth $113,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter.

Asbury Automotive Group Stock Performance

Shares of Asbury Automotive Group stock opened at $205.21 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. The company has a market cap of $3.95 billion, a PE ratio of 8.18 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a 50 day moving average of $232.94 and a 200-day moving average of $237.67. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $197.51 and a 1-year high of $274.50.

Asbury Automotive Group (NYSE:ABG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $6.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.70 by ($0.03). Asbury Automotive Group had a net margin of 2.73% and a return on equity of 14.51%. The firm had revenue of $4.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.93 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $7.26 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. will post 26.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on ABG shares. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Asbury Automotive Group in a research report on Wednesday. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Zacks Research cut Asbury Automotive Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. 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, February 6th. Morgan Stanley set a $230.00 price objective on Asbury Automotive Group in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Asbury Automotive Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $247.57.

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.