Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) Shares Acquired by Natixis Advisors LLC

Natixis Advisors LLC increased its stake in Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) by 10.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 123,369 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,995 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC owned about 0.63% of Asbury Automotive Group worth $29,982,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ABG. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in Asbury Automotive Group by 234.0% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 501 shares of the company’s stock worth $122,000 after acquiring an additional 351 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV raised its position in Asbury Automotive Group by 52.3% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 769 shares of the company’s stock worth $187,000 after acquiring an additional 264 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in Asbury Automotive Group by 17.2% in the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 839 shares of the company’s stock worth $204,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR bought a new stake in Asbury Automotive Group in the fourth quarter worth about $213,000. Finally, Highland Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Asbury Automotive Group during the 4th quarter worth about $216,000.

Insider Transactions at Asbury Automotive Group

In other news, COO Daniel Clara sold 1,217 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $296.64, for a total value of $361,010.88. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 3,747 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,111,510.08. This represents a 24.52 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.53% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on ABG. Stephens upped their price objective on shares of Asbury Automotive Group from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Craig Hallum lowered shares of Asbury Automotive Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced 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 note on Friday, January 17th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $264.00.

Asbury Automotive Group Price Performance

NYSE ABG opened at $235.11 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $268.34 and a 200-day simple moving average of $250.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 0.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.93 and a beta of 1.22. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $206.62 and a 52-week high of $312.56.

Asbury Automotive Group 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.