3,252 Shares in AutoNation, Inc. $AN Bought by OP Asset Management Ltd

OP Asset Management Ltd purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 3,252 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $635,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 8.9% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 18,953 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,070,000 after buying an additional 1,551 shares in the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the first quarter valued at approximately $265,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in AutoNation by 10.9% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 98,610 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,967,000 after acquiring an additional 9,656 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its stake in AutoNation by 17.3% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,472 shares of the company’s stock worth $562,000 after acquiring an additional 511 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in AutoNation by 37.4% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total value of $512,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,456 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $298,348.96. This represents a 63.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AN stock opened at $185.90 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $194.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $199.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.81. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $176.62 and a 1 year high of $228.92. The firm has a market cap of $6.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.07, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.74.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.71 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $6.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.68 earnings per share. Analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on AN shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Barclays increased their target price on AutoNation from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Bank of America started coverage on AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $246.90.

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.