UBS Group AG Has $22.67 Million Stock Holdings in Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. $ABG

Key Points

• UBS Group AG cut its Asbury Automotive Group stake by 49.2% in the fourth quarter, selling 94,467 shares and ending with 97,475 shares valued at about $22.67 million.
• Asbury reported mixed quarterly results, with earnings of $5.37 per share and revenue of $4.11 billion, both below analyst expectations; revenue also declined 0.9% from a year ago.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with a consensus rating of “Hold” and a target price of $238, while recent calls included a Bank of America “buy” and target cuts from Citigroup and others.

UBS Group AG lowered its stake in Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG - Free Report) by 49.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 97,475 shares of the company's stock after selling 94,467 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned approximately 0.50% of Asbury Automotive Group worth $22,666,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. State of Alaska Department of Revenue boosted its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 10,983 shares of the company's stock worth $2,553,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH boosted its stake in Asbury Automotive Group by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 3,130 shares of the company's stock worth $731,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in Asbury Automotive Group by 69.2% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 132 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in Asbury Automotive Group by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 825 shares of the company's stock worth $202,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC raised its stake in Asbury Automotive Group by 76.0% during the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 132 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the period.

Asbury Automotive Group Price Performance

ABG opened at $198.03 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $199.97 and a 200 day moving average price of $222.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $184.61 and a 1 year high of $274.50. The stock has a market cap of $3.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.01, a PEG ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.78.

Asbury Automotive Group (NYSE:ABG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $5.37 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.62 by ($0.25). The firm had revenue of $4.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.37 billion. Asbury Automotive Group had a return on equity of 13.39% and a net margin of 3.05%.The business's revenue for the quarter was down .9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $6.82 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. will post 25.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Asbury Automotive Group news, Director B. Christopher Disantis acquired 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $202.30 per share, with a total value of $101,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 5,400 shares in the company, valued at $1,092,420. The trade was a 10.20% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.75% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Barclays raised their target price on Asbury Automotive Group from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Bank of America began coverage on Asbury Automotive Group in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Citigroup lowered their target price on Asbury Automotive Group from $260.00 to $212.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Morgan Stanley set a $220.00 price target on shares of Asbury Automotive Group in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Asbury Automotive Group from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $238.00.

Asbury Automotive Group Profile

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.

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