Asbury Automotive Group (ABG) Set to Announce Quarterly Earnings on Thursday

Asbury Automotive Group (NYSE:ABG - Get Free Report) will announce its earnings results before the market opens on Thursday, April 25th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $7.76 per share for the quarter. Individual that wish to register for the company's earnings conference call can do so using this link.

Asbury Automotive Group (NYSE:ABG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The company reported $7.12 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.74 by ($0.62). The firm had revenue of $3.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.70 billion. Asbury Automotive Group had a return on equity of 21.68% and a net margin of 4.07%. The firm's revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $9.12 EPS. On average, analysts expect Asbury Automotive Group to post $31 EPS for the current fiscal year and $32 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Asbury Automotive Group Stock Performance

NYSE:ABG traded down $0.38 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $211.49. The stock had a trading volume of 142,978 shares, compared to its average volume of 165,025. Asbury Automotive Group has a 52 week low of $178.40 and a 52 week high of $256.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.49 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $216.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $213.08.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Craig Hallum downgraded Asbury Automotive Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $230.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Thursday, February 8th.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Jed Milstein sold 3,955 shares of Asbury Automotive Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $209.00, for a total transaction of $826,595.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 8,300 shares in the company, valued at $1,734,700. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.53% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its position in Asbury Automotive Group by 47.5% in the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,671 shares of the company's stock worth $593,000 after purchasing an additional 1,182 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 8.9% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,459 shares of the company's stock worth $233,000 after buying an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 1.2% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 6,583 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,099,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Asbury Automotive Group by 56.3% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 12,440 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,993,000 after buying an additional 4,480 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers boosted its stake in Asbury Automotive Group by 7.3% during the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 63,891 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,235,000 after buying an additional 4,367 shares in the last quarter.

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.