AutoNation, Inc. $AN Shares Sold by Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund cut its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 25.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,300 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,581 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $2,011,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in AutoNation during the third quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 37.4% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 49.7% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 259 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC bought a new stake in AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth approximately $57,000. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Stock Down 3.9%

NYSE:AN opened at $197.79 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $176.62 and a 1-year high of $228.92. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $191.13 and its 200 day moving average price is $198.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.71, a PEG ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.75.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.71 by ($0.02). The business 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%. AutoNation’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.68 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AutoNation news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the company’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 transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 1,456 shares in the company, valued at approximately $298,348.96. This represents a 63.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on AN. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $240.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Barclays lifted their target price on AutoNation from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Citigroup boosted their target price on AutoNation from $269.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Northcoast Research raised AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $240.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $246.18.

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.