AutoNation (NYSE:AN) CFO Buys $99,954.00 in Stock

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) CFO Thomas Szlosek purchased 540 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 5th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $185.10 per share, with a total value of $99,954.00. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 20,625 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,817,687.50. This represents a 2.69% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

AutoNation Stock Performance

AN opened at $186.97 on Thursday. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $151.82 and a 52-week high of $235.81. 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 company has a market cap of $5.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.82. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $174.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $192.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $5.11 EPS for the quarter, topping 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $5.01 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 20.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Private Advisor Group LLC increased its holdings in AutoNation by 42.4% in the 3rd quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 2,084 shares of the company’s stock worth $328,000 after buying an additional 621 shares during the period. Ieq Capital LLC raised its position in AutoNation by 52.8% during the 3rd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 39,895 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,281,000 after buying an additional 13,793 shares during the last quarter. Focus Advisor Solutions LLC lifted its stake in AutoNation by 53.4% during the 3rd quarter. Focus Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 7,974 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,255,000 after acquiring an additional 2,776 shares during the period. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in AutoNation during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $2,394,000. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC lifted its stake in AutoNation by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 3,179 shares of the company’s stock valued at $501,000 after acquiring an additional 247 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Stephens boosted 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. UBS Group cut their target price on AutoNation from $248.00 to $213.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Citigroup cut their target price on AutoNation from $255.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered AutoNation from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $185.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, November 4th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, AutoNation has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $228.20.

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.