Advisors Preferred LLC Makes New Investment in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Advisors Preferred LLC acquired a new position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 11,816 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,307,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in AutoNation by 37.4% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the third quarter worth about $48,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 49.7% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 259 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at about $57,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Stock Up 1.4%

AN stock opened at $196.07 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $191.16 and a 200-day simple moving average of $198.50. The company has a market capitalization of $6.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.62, a PEG ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.75. AutoNation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $176.62 and a twelve month high of $228.92.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.71 by ($0.02). AutoNation had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The company had revenue of $6.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.65 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.68 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on AN shares. Northcoast Research raised AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $240.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $208.00 to $202.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 price objective on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $269.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $234.00 target price for the company. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $245.73.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoNation

In other news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief accounting officer owned 1,456 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $298,348.96. The trade was a 63.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

About AutoNation

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.