Dave Cantin Group adds former Asbury exec as senior VP of strategic initiatives. Sid Barron, who is now senior vice president of strategic initiatives at Dave Cantin Group. Image courtesy of DCG. Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, 02:58 PM Auto Remarketing Staff By subscribing, you agree to receive communications from Auto Remarketing and its partners in accordance with its Privacy Policy. Auto Remarketing may share your information with select partners and sponsors who may contact you about their products and services. You may unsubscribe at any time. Automotive M&A advisory Dave Cantin Group has named a former Asbury Automotive Group senior executive and business partner to baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron as its senior vice president of strategic initiatives. Hired for the role is Sid Barron, who spent more than a decade at Asbury, where he served as vice president of manufacturer relations and VP of corporate development and real estate. Barron helped execute Asbury's acquisitions of the Larry H. Miller Dealerships, Stevinson Automotive and Jim Koons Automotive Companies. In the new role with DCG, Barron will lead OEM relations, co-lead the firm's athlete investment services and collaborate with company advisors in helping dealers pursue acquisitions, divestitures, platform management, succession planning and other business strategies. Barron was also previously the business partner in Aaron's dealership operations. "What drew me to DCG was the opportunity to work with dealers well before they decide to buy or sell," Barron said in a news release. "Those conversations can be about improving the business, planning for the future, or finding new ways to grow," he said. "Having been a dealer myself, I know how valuable it is to have someone who understands automotive retail and what it means to you." By subscribing, you agree to receive communications from Auto Remarketing and its partners in accordance with its Privacy Policy. Auto Remarketing may share your information with select partners and sponsors who may contact you about their products and services. You may unsubscribe at any time. DCG partner and president Brian Gordon said, "Dave Cantin Group continues to invest in people and resources that bring value to dealership owners in a rapidly changing and increasingly challenging business environment. "Sid brings unique perspective as an operator, as an owner and as a public-company executive. His experience gives him a detailed understanding of these businesses and what it takes to protect their value while pursuing growth or an exit. Sid's depth and breadth in all aspects of automotive retail will be invaluable to our clients and our advisors working alongside them." DCG founder and CEO Dave Cantin said: "Advisory businesses are built on trust that comes from experience, reputation, and success. Sid's 40 years in the retail automotive industry embody these ideals, making him an incredible addition to the DCG team and our clients."

Dave Cantin Group names former Asbury Automotive executive Sid Barron senior vice president of strategic initiatives. Industry veteran and former Hank Aaron business partner brings 40 years of industry experience in manufacturer relations, dealer group corporate development, dealership ownership and operations New York, October 20, 2026 - Dave Cantin Group (DCG), an automotive mergers and acquisitions advisory firm, has hired Sid Barron as senior vice president of strategic initiatives. Barron will lead manufacturer relations, co-lead the firm's athlete investment services, and work closely with DCG advisors to help dealership owners pursue acquisitions, divestitures, platform management, succession planning and other business strategies. Barron joins DCG after more than a decade at Asbury Automotive Group, where he served as vice president of manufacturer relations and vice president of corporate development and real estate. While there, Barron helped execute acquisitions including the Larry H. Miller Dealerships, Stevinson Automotive and Jim Koons Automotive Companies. Those transactions and other growth initiatives added more than $9.4 billion in annualized revenue to Asbury's revenue base. His work included evaluating acquisition opportunities, negotiating transactions, addressing real estate considerations and coordinating manufacturer approvals. "What drew me to DCG was the opportunity to work with dealers well before they decide to buy or sell," Barron said. "Those conversations can be about improving the business, planning for the future, or finding new ways to grow. Having been a dealer myself, I know how valuable it is to have someone who understands automotive retail and what it means to you." At DCG, Barron will help the firm's clients navigate the changing manufacturer landscape, advising on acquisitions and divestitures, facilitating manufacturer approvals and centralizing intelligence on franchise requirements that are essential to successful M&A transactions. He will also advise DCG dealer clients on corporate development strategies, including the firm's athlete investment services. "Dave Cantin Group continues to invest in people and resources that bring value to dealership owners in a rapidly changing and increasingly challenging business environment," said Brian Gordon, DCG partner & president. "Sid brings unique perspective as an operator, as an owner and as a public-company executive. His experience gives him a detailed understanding of these businesses and what it takes to protect their value while pursuing growth or an exit. Sid's depth and breadth in all aspects of automotive retail will be invaluable to our clients and our advisors working alongside them." At Asbury, as vice president of manufacturer relations, Barron worked with automakers on franchise strategy, dealership performance, network planning and capital investment. That experience gives him insight into how manufacturer requirements affect a dealership's growth options, transaction timing and value. Barron also brings an owner's perspective on succession and selling a business. As a partner in Hank Aaron's dealership operations, he experienced firsthand the decision to sell. That experience informs his work with owners weighing their financial goals alongside concerns about their employees and the future of the business they have built. "Advisory businesses are built on trust that comes from experience, reputation, and success," said Dave Cantin, Dave Cantin Group founder and CEO. "Sid's 40 years in the retail automotive industry embody these ideals, making him an incredible addition to the DCG team and our clients." A longtime Atlanta resident, Barron is the immediate past chairman of 100 Black Men of Atlanta and the 2026 recipient of the organization's Thomas W. Dortch Jr. Civic Leadership Award. He and his wife, Myrna, support and raise funds for the Rally Foundation for Pediatric Cancer Research. He holds degrees from Oxford College and Emory University. About Dave Cantin Group. Dave Cantin Group is a leading automotive M&A advisory firm specializing in acquisitions, divestitures, platform management, business evaluations, and other corporate development services. The new retail reality requires automotive dealers to seek DCG's collective best thinking, deep experience and extensive industry relationships to effectively leverage M&A as a core business strategy. Clients choose DCG because the firm is a trusted advisor focusing on long-term relationships, investing in data and research, and engaging its entire team on every client project. Clients benefit from DCG's industry-leading market intelligence - its Market Outlook Report - and JumpIQ, DCG's proprietary AI-enabled platform delivering unprecedented visibility into automotive retail. The firm's nonprofit initiative, DCG Giving, funds child and adolescent cancer research and treatment across the United States and supports other charitable causes important to the automotive retail community. To learn more, visit davecantingroup.com.

Is Asbury Automotive Group (ABG) a value trap or an undervalued bargain? Published September 25, 2026 at 3:21 am EDT Asbury Automotive Group (NYSE:ABG) has built its core investment case on multi-year revenue growth, robust operating cash flow generation, and disciplined free cash flow conversion. A resilient balance sheet and steady return on invested capital/ROIC form the foundation of its long-term thesis, which centers on expanding dealership scale, extracting operational synergies, and compounding equity value through aggressive share repurchases. In an automotive retail market where investors are actively weighing whether industry peers posting solid earnings are finally ready to rebound, Asbury's strategy relies on disciplined balance sheet management. In an environment defined by elevated interest rates, management's rationale for increasing leverage rests on funding high-yielding dealership acquisitions and repurchasing discounted equity, betting that long-term ROIC and cash flow generation will comfortably outpace borrowing costs. That foundational strategy faces a fresh operational chapter. On August 31, Asbury announced that Wendy Reynolds-Dobbs will step into the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, effective September 14. Replacing decade-long executive Jed Milstein, who will remain as a consultant through the end of 2026, Reynolds-Dobbs has served as Vice President of Talent Development, Chief Culture Officer, and interim CHRO since joining Asbury in May 2022. This leadership handoff provides operational continuity directly tied to Asbury's fundamental drivers, ensuring human capital and store-level execution remain aligned with the company's broader margin preservation and capital allocation goals. Operational execution and capital allocation strategy. Internal executive stability gives Asbury a steady backdrop as it navigates shifting retail auto dynamics. The strength of store-level operations showed up clearly in the second quarter, where used vehicle retail gross profit per unit surged 16% year over year to $2,002. This improvement highlights solid pricing power and merchandise management in used inventory, helping offset broader industry volume pressure. Management matched that operational resilience with aggressive capital deployment, leveraging the company's $966 million in total liquidity to buy back its own shares. During the second quarter, Asbury repurchased approximately 668,000 shares for $131 million, bringing year-to-date buybacks to 1.35 million shares for $278 million, with $322 million remaining under its board authorization. By steadily reducing share count at depressed valuations, Asbury aims to accelerate long-term earnings per share compounding once core operating margins normalize. Cost pressures, margin compression, and technology integration. Despite strong used-car unit economics, second-quarter profitability experienced notable top- and bottom-line contraction. Net income dropped 25% year over year from $153 million to $115 million, while adjusted net income fell 15% from $146 million to $125 million. Diluted earnings per share dropped from $7.76 to $6.25, reflecting operating margin compression as selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses absorbed 67.2% of gross profit (66.0% on an adjusted basis). A significant portion of this cost inflation stems from a temporary internal catalyst: Asbury's ongoing transition to the Tekion dealership management system. As of July 28, the company had converted 70% of its stores, incurring $4 million in direct implementation costs alongside $1 million in duplicative operational expenses during the quarter alone. Running dual systems creates short-term margin drag, but management expects the Tekion rollout to wrap up in fall 2026, which should eliminate redundant software expenses and unlock structural store-level efficiencies heading into 2027. Valuation breakdown and institutional sentiment. Institutional ownership data reveals a divided market sentiment. Hedge fund holdings experienced a minor dip, decreasing from 35 funds to 33 in the most recent quarter, reflecting moderate institutional trimming rather than a widespread exit. Meanwhile, short sellers have targeted the stock, pushing short interest to an elevated 12.47% of the float. This short exposure points to market concerns over sustained SG&A cost inflation, post-pandemic vehicle price normalization, and elevated interest expense. At 6.39 times forward earnings, as of September 24, Asbury trades at a steep discount to the broader market, raising core questions for prospective investors evaluating whether the stock is genuinely cheap or a potential value trap. Proponents arguing that the stock is cheap view the 6.39x forward P/E multiple as pricing in a substantial earnings decline, offering a high margin of safety if Tekion's completion restores operating margins toward historical averages and share buybacks continue to shrink the float. Conversely, skeptics caution that if SG&A expenses remain stuck above 66% of gross profit or elevated borrowing costs persistently erode net income, the single-digit multiple reflects a value trap struggling with cyclical headwinds and structural cost inflation. The investor bottom line. Asbury Automotive enters the final stretch of 2026 with strong organizational continuity, resilient used-vehicle gross margins, and a $966 million liquidity position supporting aggressive share repurchases. The key variable for long-term investors lies in operational execution: once duplicate Tekion implementation costs fall away this fall, Asbury must demonstrate that its technology overhaul can drive operating leverage, lower SG&A ratios, and prove that its single-digit earnings multiple is a bargain rather than a warning.