Lazard Asset Management LLC Has $4.45 Million Position in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 11.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 22,813 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 2,357 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.07% of AutoNation worth $4,454,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in AutoNation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas bought a new position in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter valued at $48,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth $57,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Northcoast Research raised shares of AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $240.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Weiss Ratings raised AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Citigroup lifted their target price on AutoNation from $269.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target 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 increased their price target on AutoNation from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the 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 Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE AN opened at $213.22 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $195.64 and its 200-day moving average price is $198.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.81. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $176.62 and a 52-week high of $235.81. The company has a market capitalization of $7.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 0.75.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.48 by $0.08. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The company had revenue of $6.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.26 earnings per share. AutoNation’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.41 earnings per share for the current year.

More AutoNation News

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

Insider Buying and Selling

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

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.