AutoNation, Inc. $AN Shares Sold by Hsbc Holdings PLC

Hsbc Holdings PLC cut its holdings in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 97.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,756 shares of the company’s stock after selling 61,190 shares during the quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $343,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in AutoNation by 37.4% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at about $41,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new position in AutoNation during the third quarter worth about $48,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake 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 during the period. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter valued at about $57,000. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on AN. Weiss Ratings raised shares of AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 price objective on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Northcoast Research upgraded shares of 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. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on AutoNation from $208.00 to $202.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on AutoNation from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $246.18.

AutoNation Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of AN opened at $213.22 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.13 billion, a PE ratio of 9.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.71. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $176.62 and a 1 year high of $235.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.81. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $195.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $198.39.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.48 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $6.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.82% and a return on equity of 30.91%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.26 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at AutoNation

In other AutoNation news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the firm’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 completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 1,456 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $298,348.96. This trade represents a 63.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Trending Headlines about AutoNation

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoNation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted second-quarter EPS rose to $5.56, exceeding the roughly $5.43–$5.48 analyst consensus. Net income increased 111% year over year to $182.1 million, helped by improved profitability. Revenue Miss, EV Sales Slump Send AutoNation Stock Lower
• Positive Sentiment: After-sales produced a record gross profit, customer-pay revenue grew 7%, and Customer Financial Services gross profit per unit increased 3%, demonstrating resilience in AutoNation’s higher-margin operations. The company also repurchased $457 million of stock during the first half and acquired four dealerships representing approximately $600 million in annual revenue. AutoNation Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects adjusted EPS growth in the second half and is targeting SG&A at 66% to 67% of gross profit by year-end, signaling a focus on operating leverage and expense discipline. AutoNation outlines SG&A target and second-half EPS growth
• Neutral Sentiment: AutoNation’s luxury-vehicle strategy is accelerating. While this could improve margins and mix over time, it also increases investor attention on demand trends in a more cyclical and potentially softer market. AutoNation beats on profit but misses revenue as luxury pivot accelerates
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue declined approximately 1% year over year to $6.93 billion, below the roughly $7 billion consensus. Lower new-vehicle sales and a slump in electric-vehicle sales reinforced concerns about softer dealership demand and ongoing macroeconomic pressure. AutoNation Revenue Falls on Lower New-Vehicle Sales

AutoNation Company 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.