Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) Shares Sold by Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund

Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund trimmed its holdings in Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) by 2.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,605 shares of the company’s stock after selling 100 shares during the quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund’s holdings in Asbury Automotive Group were worth $1,119,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 13.6% in the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 5,851 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,422,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 66,645 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,197,000 after acquiring an additional 389 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Asbury Automotive Group by 28.8% in the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,408 shares of the company’s stock valued at $342,000 after buying an additional 315 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its position in Asbury Automotive Group by 54.2% during the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,979 shares of the company’s stock worth $481,000 after buying an additional 696 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Asbury Automotive Group by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 94,995 shares of the company’s stock worth $23,087,000 after buying an additional 788 shares during the last quarter.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Seaport Res Ptn downgraded shares of Asbury Automotive Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Stephens upped their price objective on shares of Asbury Automotive Group from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Craig Hallum downgraded shares of Asbury Automotive Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Asbury Automotive Group from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $264.00.

Insider Transactions at Asbury Automotive Group

In related news, COO Daniel Clara sold 1,217 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were 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 approximately $1,111,510.08. This represents a 24.52 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.53% of the company’s stock.

Asbury Automotive Group Stock Performance

NYSE:ABG opened at $268.11 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $202.98 and a fifty-two week high of $312.56. The stock has a market cap of $5.25 billion, a PE ratio of 12.46 and a beta of 1.20. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $267.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $249.39.

About Asbury Automotive Group

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.