AutoNation, Inc. $AN Shares Bought by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 4.0% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 1,478,991 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 56,641 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $288,784,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in 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 purchased a new stake in AutoNation in the 1st quarter valued at $265,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in AutoNation by 10.9% in the 1st 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 buying an additional 9,656 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 17.3% in the 1st 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. increased 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 worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group began coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $234.00 price target on the stock. Northcoast Research upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $240.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $208.00 to $202.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $246.18.

AutoNation Stock Up 3.9%

Shares of NYSE:AN opened at $206.12 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $191.49 and a 200 day moving average price of $198.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. The company has a market capitalization of $6.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.17, a PEG ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.75. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12-month low of $176.62 and a 12-month high of $228.92.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 EPS 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 company’s quarterly revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.68 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.41 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the business’s 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 sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,456 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $298,348.96. The trade was a 63.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

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.