LSV Asset Management Has $108.63 Million Position in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

LSV Asset Management lowered its position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 2.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 526,125 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,100 shares during the quarter. LSV Asset Management owned approximately 1.44% of AutoNation worth $108,634,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its stake in AutoNation by 160.4% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 349 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Mach 1 Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at $556,000. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at $2,247,000. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in AutoNation by 20.4% in the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 566 shares of the company’s stock valued at $117,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in AutoNation by 6.0% in the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 2,629 shares of the company’s stock valued at $543,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total transaction of $512,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 1,456 shares in the company, valued at approximately $298,348.96. This trade represents a 63.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Stock Performance

NYSE AN opened at $190.20 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $195.50 and a 200-day moving average of $202.34. 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 stock has a market cap of $6.36 billion, a PE ratio of 10.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.79. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $176.25 and a 52-week high of $228.92.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.71 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $6.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.65 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 2.47%.The business’s quarterly revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.68 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.24 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on AN shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Stephens increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $228.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $269.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $248.33.

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.