AutoNation, Inc. $AN Shares Sold by Savant Capital LLC

Savant Capital LLC cut its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 72.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,271 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,813 shares during the quarter. Savant Capital LLC’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $675,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 355.3% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the third quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in AutoNation by 126.1% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 251 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on AN. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $269.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Stephens raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $228.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $246.90.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoNation

In other AutoNation news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total value of $512,275.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 1,456 shares in the company, valued at $298,348.96. This trade represents a 63.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

AutoNation Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of AN opened at $190.53 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $6.38 billion, a PE ratio of 10.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.74. The company’s fifty day moving average is $196.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $202.24. AutoNation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $176.62 and a fifty-two week high of $228.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.71 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $6.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.65 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $4.68 EPS. Analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.19 earnings per share for the current year.

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.