Principal Financial Group Inc. Reduces Stake in Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. $ABG

Principal Financial Group Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 94,933 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,543 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.49% of Asbury Automotive Group worth $23,206,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its position in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 69.2% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 132 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its stake in Asbury Automotive Group by 64.8% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Asbury Automotive Group by 104.2% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 337 shares of the company’s stock valued at $80,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board raised its stake in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 700.0% in the second quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 800 shares of the company’s stock valued at $191,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the period. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Asbury Automotive Group by 7.3% in the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 825 shares of the company’s stock worth $202,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the last quarter.

Asbury Automotive Group Stock Up 2.2%

Shares of NYSE:ABG opened at $225.36 on Friday. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $201.68 and a 52-week high of $306.46. The stock has a market cap of $4.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.98 and a beta of 0.82. The business’s 50 day moving average is $240.11 and its 200 day moving average is $239.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90.

Asbury Automotive Group (NYSE:ABG) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $6.67 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.70 by ($0.03). Asbury Automotive Group had a net margin of 2.73% and a return on equity of 14.63%. The firm had revenue of $4.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.93 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $7.26 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. will post 26.28 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently commented on ABG. Morgan Stanley set a $230.00 price target on shares of Asbury Automotive Group in a report on Monday, December 8th. Zacks Research cut Asbury Automotive Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Barclays decreased their price target on Asbury Automotive Group from $250.00 to $230.00 and set a “reduce” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Asbury Automotive Group from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Asbury Automotive Group from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Asbury Automotive Group has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $247.57.

Key Asbury Automotive Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Asbury Automotive Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management signaled a sustained tech-driven investment plan — Asbury said it will run about $250M of annual capital expenditures through 2027 as the Tekion rollout advances, which investors may view as a driver of long-term operational improvement. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Company posted record 2025 revenue and year-over-year revenue growth, a sign of topline momentum despite margin pressures. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings materials and the full call transcript provide management commentary and slides for investors to model the Tekion rollout timing and capex phasing; these details will shape how quickly benefits offset higher spending. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 results missed consensus: EPS of $6.67 missed estimates by $0.03 and revenue came in below consensus (reported $4.68B vs. estimates near $4.9B), driven in part by weaker gross profit on new-vehicle sales — a short-term profitability headwind. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: EPS declined vs. prior-year quarter (from $7.26 to $6.67), and margin compression increases near-term execution risk as higher capex ramps — factors that could cap multiples until margins stabilize. Article Title

About Asbury Automotive Group

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.