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The following are today's upgrades for Validea's Value Investor model based on the published strategy of Benjamin Graham. This deep value methodology screens for stocks that have low P/B and P/E ratios, along with low debt and solid long-term earnings growth.

ASBURY AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, INC. (ABG) is a mid-cap value stock in the Retail (Specialty) industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Benjamin Graham changed from 71% to 86% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. is an automotive retailer company. The Company operates through two segments: Dealerships and Total Care Auto (TCA). The Company offers a range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicles; parts and service, which includes vehicle repair and maintenance services, replacement parts and collision repair services, and finance and insurance (F&I) products, which includes arranging vehicle financing through third parties and aftermarket products, such as extended service contracts, guaranteed asset protection (GAP) debt cancellation and prepaid maintenance. The Company operates approximately 160 new vehicle dealerships, consisting of 208 franchises, representing 31 domestic and foreign brands of vehicles. Its TCA, powered by Landcar, is a provider of service contracts and other vehicle protection products, and 37 collision repair centers.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of ASBURY AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, INC.

RUSH ENTERPRISES INC (RUSHA) is a mid-cap value stock in the Retail (Specialty) industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Benjamin Graham changed from 71% to 86% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Rush Enterprises, Inc. is an integrated retailer of commercial vehicles and related services. The Company operates through the Truck Segment, which includes its operation of a network of commercial vehicle dealerships under the name Rush Truck Centers. Rush Truck Centers primarily sell commercial vehicles manufactured by Peterbilt, International, Hino, Ford, Isuzu, IC Bus, Blue Bird and Dennis Eagle. Through its network of Rush Truck Centers, the Company provides one-stop service for the needs of its commercial vehicle customers, including retail sales of new and used commercial vehicles, aftermarket parts sales, service and repair facilities, financing, leasing and rental, and insurance products. It operates over 125 franchised Rush Truck Centers in 23 states. It also owns and operates over 14 international dealership locations in Ontario. It provides aftermarket parts, service and body shop operations plus financing, insurance, leasing and rental, and chrome accessories and tires.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of RUSH ENTERPRISES INC

About Benjamin Graham: The late Benjamin Graham may be the oldest of the gurus we follow, but his impact on the investing world has lasted for decades after his death in 1976. Known as both the "Father of Value Investing" and the founder of the entire field of security analysis, Graham mentored several of history's greatest investors -- including Warren Buffett -- and inspired a slew of others, including John Templeton, Mario Gabelli, and another of Validea's gurus, John Neff. Graham built his fortune and reputation after living through some extremely difficult times, including both the Great Depression and his own family's financial woes following his father's death when Benjamin was a young man. His investment firm posted per annum returns of about 20 percent from 1936 to 1956, far outpacing the 12.2 percent average return for the market during that time.

About Validea: Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.