Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Invests $1.46 Million in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm acquired 7,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,464,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AN. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new stake in AutoNation during the third quarter worth approximately $48,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in 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 purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter worth about $57,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AN opened at $186.34 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.09, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.75. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12-month low of $176.62 and a 12-month high of $228.92. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $193.19 and its 200-day moving average is $199.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.20.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its quarterly earnings data 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). AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 2.47%.The company had revenue of $6.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.65 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.68 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at AutoNation

In other news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 1,456 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $298,348.96. This trade represents a 63.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of AutoNation from $269.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. UBS Group initiated coverage on AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $234.00 price target for the company. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 price objective 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, AutoNation currently has an average 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.