AutoNation (NYSE:AN) CFO Acquires 541 Shares of Company Stock

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) CFO Thomas Szlosek acquired 541 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 6th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $184.56 per share, for a total transaction of $99,846.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 21,166 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,906,396.96. This represents a 2.62% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

AutoNation Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:AN traded up $2.31 during trading on Monday, hitting $186.31. The stock had a trading volume of 439,749 shares, compared to its average volume of 463,137. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $151.82 and a 12 month high of $235.81. The company has a market capitalization of $5.96 billion, a PE ratio of 8.95, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.82. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $175.51 and its 200 day moving average is $192.98. The company has a quick ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $5.11 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.08 by $0.03. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.18% and a net margin of 2.63%. The company had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.93 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $5.01 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 20.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AN. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in AutoNation by 73.9% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 193 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 33.0% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 306 shares of the company’s stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in AutoNation in the second quarter worth $63,000. Heritage Family Offices LLP purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the third quarter worth $67,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the third quarter worth $85,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on AN. UBS Group decreased their price objective on AutoNation from $248.00 to $213.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Argus upped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $241.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of AutoNation from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $185.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, November 4th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 3rd. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $228.20.

AutoNation Company Profile

AutoNation, Inc is a U.S. automotive retailer that sells new and used vehicles through a network of dealerships. Its stores offer vehicles from a range of manufacturers, along with related products and services.

The company also provides vehicle maintenance and repair, parts, and collision-repair services. Its offerings include financing and insurance products, as well as online tools that support vehicle research and purchasing.

Founded in 1996, AutoNation operates dealerships across the United States, with a presence concentrated in the Sun Belt.