AutoNation (NYSE:AN) CFO Acquires $99,846.96 in Stock

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) CFO Thomas Szlosek acquired 541 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 6th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $184.56 per share, with a total value of $99,846.96. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 21,166 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,906,396.96. This represents a 2.62% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

AutoNation Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of AN opened at $186.97 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.01, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.17. AutoNation, Inc. has a one year low of $151.82 and a one year high of $235.81. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $174.55 and its 200-day simple moving average is $192.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $5.11 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.08 by $0.03. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.18% and a net margin of 2.63%. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.93 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $5.01 EPS. AutoNation’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 20.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on AN shares. Argus increased their target price on AutoNation from $241.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $255.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of AutoNation from $248.00 to $213.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Stephens increased their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of AutoNation from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $228.20.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 42.4% in the 3rd quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 2,084 shares of the company’s stock valued at $328,000 after purchasing an additional 621 shares during the period. Ieq Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 52.8% during the third quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 39,895 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,281,000 after purchasing an additional 13,793 shares during the period. Focus Advisor Solutions LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 53.4% during the third quarter. Focus Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 7,974 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,255,000 after purchasing an additional 2,776 shares during the period. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter worth $2,394,000. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC increased its holdings in AutoNation by 8.4% in the third quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 3,179 shares of the company’s stock valued at $501,000 after purchasing an additional 247 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

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.