Squarepoint Ops LLC Reduces Stock Holdings in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Squarepoint Ops LLC lowered its stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 21.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 81,730 shares of the company’s stock after selling 22,523 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC owned 0.25% of AutoNation worth $15,185,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 17,067.0% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 5,484,521 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,018,969,000 after purchasing an additional 5,452,573 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in AutoNation by 192,434.0% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 4,424,431 shares of the company’s stock valued at $913,557,000 after acquiring an additional 4,422,133 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in AutoNation during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $438,689,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $69,319,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 260.2% in the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 333,975 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,064,000 after acquiring an additional 241,265 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Citigroup increased their price objective on AutoNation from $287.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Stephens upped their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of AutoNation from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. Finally, UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $248.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $250.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $198,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 7,989 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,757,580. The trade was a 10.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

AutoNation Trading Down 0.0%

AutoNation stock opened at $209.26 on Thursday. AutoNation, Inc. has a one year low of $176.62 and a one year high of $235.81. The business’s fifty day moving average is $204.18 and its 200 day moving average is $197.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.92 billion, a PE ratio of 9.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.18.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.48 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $6.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.82% and a return on equity of 31.24%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.26 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.69 EPS 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.