Maryland State Retirement & Pension System Sells 151 Shares of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG)

Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lowered its position in shares of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) by 2.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,596 shares of the company’s stock after selling 151 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System’s holdings in Asbury Automotive Group were worth $1,603,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 351 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV boosted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 264 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR purchased a new stake in Asbury Automotive Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $213,000. Finally, Highland Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Asbury Automotive Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $216,000.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Craig Hallum cut shares of Asbury Automotive Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Asbury Automotive Group from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Stephens lifted their price target on shares of Asbury Automotive Group from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $264.00.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Daniel Clara sold 1,217 shares of the firm’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 directly owns 3,747 shares in the company, valued at $1,111,510.08. This trade represents a 24.52 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.53% of the company’s stock.

Asbury Automotive Group Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of Asbury Automotive Group stock opened at $233.44 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $267.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $250.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.59 billion, a PE ratio of 10.85 and a beta of 1.22. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $206.62 and a 1-year high of $312.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 0.41.

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.