Hsbc Holdings PLC Cuts Holdings in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Hsbc Holdings PLC decreased its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 97.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,756 shares of the company’s stock after selling 61,190 shares during the quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $343,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of AN. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth approximately $41,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter worth approximately $48,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in AutoNation by 49.7% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 259 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $57,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AN opened at $213.22 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $195.64 and a 200 day moving average price of $198.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. The company has a market capitalization of $7.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.71. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $176.62 and a 52-week high of $235.81.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.48 by $0.08. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.82% and a return on equity of 30.91%. The company had revenue of $6.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.26 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 1,456 shares in the company, valued at approximately $298,348.96. This represents a 63.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AN has been the subject of several analyst reports. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $269.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Northcoast Research upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $240.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $208.00 to $202.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 6th. UBS Group started coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $234.00 target price for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $240.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $246.18.

Key Stories Impacting AutoNation

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoNation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted second-quarter EPS rose to $5.56, exceeding the roughly $5.43–$5.48 analyst consensus. Net income increased 111% year over year to $182.1 million, helped by improved profitability. Revenue Miss, EV Sales Slump Send AutoNation Stock Lower
• Positive Sentiment: After-sales produced a record gross profit, customer-pay revenue grew 7%, and Customer Financial Services gross profit per unit increased 3%, demonstrating resilience in AutoNation’s higher-margin operations. The company also repurchased $457 million of stock during the first half and acquired four dealerships representing approximately $600 million in annual revenue. AutoNation Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects adjusted EPS growth in the second half and is targeting SG&A at 66% to 67% of gross profit by year-end, signaling a focus on operating leverage and expense discipline. AutoNation outlines SG&A target and second-half EPS growth
• Neutral Sentiment: AutoNation’s luxury-vehicle strategy is accelerating. While this could improve margins and mix over time, it also increases investor attention on demand trends in a more cyclical and potentially softer market. AutoNation beats on profit but misses revenue as luxury pivot accelerates
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue declined approximately 1% year over year to $6.93 billion, below the roughly $7 billion consensus. Lower new-vehicle sales and a slump in electric-vehicle sales reinforced concerns about softer dealership demand and ongoing macroeconomic pressure. AutoNation Revenue Falls on Lower New-Vehicle Sales

AutoNation 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.