AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Director Sells 900 Shares

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $198,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 7,989 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,757,580. The trade was a 10.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of AutoNation stock traded down $1.98 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $209.35. The stock had a trading volume of 256,572 shares, compared to its average volume of 426,554. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $197.39 and its 200 day moving average is $198.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68. AutoNation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $176.62 and a twelve month high of $235.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.92 billion, a PE ratio of 9.70, a PEG ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.71.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.48 by $0.08. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.24% and a net margin of 2.82%.The firm had revenue of $6.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.26 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AN has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of AutoNation in a report on Monday. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $248.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday. Citigroup increased their target price on AutoNation from $287.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on AutoNation from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $248.36.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AN. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 49.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 259 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $57,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 33.0% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 306 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Company Profile

AutoNation, Inc is the largest automotive retailer in the United States, operating a network of franchised new vehicle dealerships, pre-owned vehicle superstores and collision-repair centers. The company offers a comprehensive range of automotive products and services, including the sale of new cars and light trucks from leading manufacturers, certified pre-owned vehicles and a wide selection of used models. In addition to retail vehicle sales, AutoNation provides financing, insurance and extended service contracts through its in-house financial services division, as well as genuine and aftermarket parts, factory-recommended maintenance and collision-repair services.

Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, AutoNation was founded in 1996 by entrepreneur H.