LRT Capital Management LLC Decreases Stock Position in Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG)

LRT Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) by 6.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 11,278 shares of the company’s stock after selling 787 shares during the period. Asbury Automotive Group makes up approximately 2.1% of LRT Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest holding. LRT Capital Management LLC owned 0.06% of Asbury Automotive Group worth $2,741,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of ABG. GoodHaven Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Asbury Automotive Group during the fourth quarter worth about $2,916,000. Magnolia Group LLC lifted its stake in Asbury Automotive Group by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Magnolia Group LLC now owns 149,123 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,241,000 after acquiring an additional 3,000 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 52.3% in the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 7,805 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,897,000 after acquiring an additional 2,680 shares during the last quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Asbury Automotive Group in the 4th quarter valued at $221,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of 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 worth $51,465,000 after acquiring an additional 3,273 shares during the period.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Daniel Clara sold 1,217 shares of Asbury Automotive Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $296.64, for a total value of $361,010.88. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 3,747 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,111,510.08. The trade was a 24.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.59% of the company’s stock.

Asbury Automotive Group Stock Performance

Shares of ABG stock opened at $224.99 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $201.68 and a 12-month high of $312.56. The business’s 50 day moving average is $227.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $249.06. The company has a market capitalization of $4.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.46 and a beta of 0.98.

Asbury Automotive Group (NYSE:ABG) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $6.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.84 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $4.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.31 billion. Asbury Automotive Group had a net margin of 2.50% and a return on equity of 16.29%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $7.21 EPS. Analysts expect that Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. will post 26.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on ABG shares. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Asbury Automotive Group in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $236.00 target price for the company. Craig Hallum cut Asbury Automotive Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Stephens raised their target price on Asbury Automotive Group from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Asbury Automotive Group from $290.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $258.50.

Asbury Automotive Group Company Profile

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.