AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Director Sells 900 Shares of Stock

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $198,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 7,989 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,757,580. The trade was a 10.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

AutoNation Trading Down 0.9%

AN stock traded down $1.98 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $209.35. 256,572 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 426,554. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12-month low of $176.62 and a 12-month high of $235.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.70, a PEG ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.71. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $197.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $198.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.48 by $0.08. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.82% and a return on equity of 31.24%. The firm had revenue of $6.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.26 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AN. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 8.9% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 18,953 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,070,000 after purchasing an additional 1,551 shares in the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association purchased a new stake in AutoNation during the first quarter worth about $265,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 10.9% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 98,610 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,967,000 after buying an additional 9,656 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth grew its position in AutoNation by 17.3% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,472 shares of the company’s stock worth $562,000 after buying an additional 511 shares during the period. Finally, 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 worth $38,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on AN shares. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $255.00 price objective on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $248.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Monday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $248.36.

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.