Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Purchases 3,273 Shares of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG - Free Report) by 1.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 211,766 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 3,273 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned 1.08% of Asbury Automotive Group worth $51,465,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 234.0% during 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 lifted its holdings in Asbury Automotive Group by 52.3% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 769 shares of the company's stock worth $187,000 after purchasing an additional 264 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Asbury Automotive Group by 17.2% in the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 839 shares of the company's stock worth $204,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR purchased a new position in Asbury Automotive Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $213,000. Finally, Highland Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Asbury Automotive Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $216,000.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on ABG shares. Stephens lifted their price objective on 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Asbury Automotive Group from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Craig Hallum cut shares of Asbury Automotive Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $264.00.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Asbury Automotive Group Price Performance

Shares of ABG traded up $4.23 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $235.11. The stock had a trading volume of 155,425 shares, compared to its average volume of 178,804. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The company has a market capitalization of $4.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.93 and a beta of 1.22. The company's 50-day moving average is $268.34 and its 200 day moving average is $250.64. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $206.62 and a 12-month 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.