AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Stock: Insider Jacqueline Travisano Acquires 530 Shares

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Director Jacqueline Travisano acquired 530 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 5th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $185.29 per share, for a total transaction of $98,203.70. Following the transaction, the director owned 9,419 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,745,246.51. The trade was a 5.96% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

AutoNation Trading Down 0.9%

NYSE AN opened at $184.40 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74. The firm has a market cap of $5.90 billion, a PE ratio of 8.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $174.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $192.64. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $151.82 and a 52 week high of $235.81.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $5.11 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.08 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.93 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.63% and a return on equity of 31.18%. AutoNation’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $5.01 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 20.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AN has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group lowered their price objective on AutoNation from $248.00 to $213.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $255.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Citigroup lowered their price target on AutoNation from $255.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 3rd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on AutoNation from $175.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Stephens upped their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $228.20.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in AutoNation during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $438,689,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 4.0% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,478,991 shares of the company’s stock valued at $288,784,000 after acquiring an additional 56,641 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 8.7% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 383,615 shares of the company’s stock valued at $74,905,000 after acquiring an additional 30,725 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the second quarter worth $36,925,000. Finally, Wedge Capital Management L L P NC increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 8.2% in the second quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 186,969 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,737,000 after acquiring an additional 14,115 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key AutoNation News

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoNation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CFO Thomas A. Szlosek bought 1,081 shares over November 5–6 for about $199,801, and Director Jacqueline Travisano bought 530 shares for about $98,204. The purchases increased their respective holdings and may signal confidence in the company. AutoNation insider trading and filings
• Positive Sentiment: AutoNation’s Q3 earnings-call recap describes management as positive about growth, which could support investor sentiment. The recap also notes vehicle pressures. AutoNation earnings call highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target from $175 to $182 but maintained an “equal weight” rating; the revised target was still below the cited share price, limiting the positive implication. Morgan Stanley analyst recommendations
• Negative Sentiment: The earnings-call recap flags pressure in vehicle-related business, a potential headwind even as management highlighted growth. AutoNation earnings call highlights

AutoNation Company Profile

AutoNation, Inc. is a U.S. automotive retailer that sells new and used vehicles through a network of dealerships. Its stores offer vehicles from a range of manufacturers, along with related products and services. The company also provides vehicle maintenance and repair, parts, and collision-repair services. Its offerings include financing and insurance products, as well as online tools that support vehicle research and purchasing. Founded in 1996, AutoNation operates dealerships across the United States, with a presence concentrated in the Sun Belt.