AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Director Acquires $98,203.70 in Stock

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Director Jacqueline Travisano purchased 530 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 5th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $185.29 per share, for a total transaction of $98,203.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 9,419 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,745,246.51. This represents a 5.96% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AN opened at $186.97 on Thursday. AutoNation, Inc. has a one year low of $151.82 and a one year high of $235.81. The company has a market capitalization of $5.98 billion, a PE ratio of 9.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a current ratio of 0.77. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $174.55 and a 200-day moving average of $192.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $5.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.08 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for 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%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $5.01 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 20.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on AN. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $255.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded AutoNation from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on AutoNation from $175.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $228.20.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the second quarter worth approximately $438,689,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $36,925,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,673,000. Private Management Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 85.9% in the 3rd quarter. Private Management Group Inc. now owns 144,808 shares of the company’s stock worth $22,799,000 after acquiring an additional 66,929 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in AutoNation by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,478,991 shares of the company’s stock worth $288,784,000 after acquiring an additional 56,641 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.