AutoNation, Inc. $AN Position Trimmed by Leonteq Securities AG

Leonteq Securities AG decreased its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 87.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,312 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,572 shares during the period. Leonteq Securities AG’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $256,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in AN. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in 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 purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new stake in AutoNation in the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new stake in AutoNation in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $48,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 49.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 259 shares of the company’s stock valued at $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 4th quarter valued at $57,000. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Stock Up 0.5%

AN stock traded up $0.98 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $191.70. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 14,561 shares, compared to its average volume of 415,524. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. The company has a market capitalization of $6.41 billion, a PE ratio of 10.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.75. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $176.62 and a 12 month high of $228.92. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $192.60 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $199.15.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on AN. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a report on Thursday, May 7th. UBS Group assumed coverage on AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $234.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on AutoNation from $208.00 to $202.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Citigroup upped 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Nine 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, AutoNation has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $246.30.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AutoNation news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total transaction of $512,275.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,456 shares in the company, valued at $298,348.96. This trade represents a 63.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.