Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Purchases 9,688 Shares of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG)

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG - Free Report) by 0.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,108,176 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 9,688 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 5.66% of Asbury Automotive Group worth $269,322,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of ABG. Madison Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Asbury Automotive Group in the 4th quarter worth about $82,426,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Asbury Automotive Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $82,079,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership bought a new position in shares of Asbury Automotive Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $51,118,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 18.9% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 186,306 shares of the company's stock worth $45,278,000 after buying an additional 29,579 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Asbury Automotive Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $5,316,000.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ABG has been the subject of several recent research reports. Craig Hallum lowered shares of Asbury Automotive Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Asbury Automotive Group in a research report on Wednesday. They set a "neutral" rating and a $236.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of 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. Finally, Stephens boosted their target price on shares of Asbury Automotive Group from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $258.50.

Asbury Automotive Group Price Performance

Shares of ABG stock traded up $2.31 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $223.84. The company had a trading volume of 153,190 shares, compared to its average volume of 201,694. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $201.68 and a 52-week high of $312.56. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $237.91 and its 200-day moving average price is $249.61. 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 company has a market capitalization of $4.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.41 and a beta of 1.04.

Insider Activity at Asbury Automotive Group

In related news, COO Daniel Clara sold 1,217 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $296.64, for a total transaction of $361,010.88. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now 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 is available through this link. 0.53% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.