AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Stock: Insider Thomas Szlosek Buys 541 Shares

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) CFO Thomas Szlosek bought 541 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 6th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $184.56 per share, with a total value of $99,846.96. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 21,166 shares in the company, valued at $3,906,396.96. This trade represents a 2.62% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

AutoNation Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of AN opened at $184.40 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $5.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a current ratio of 0.77. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $151.82 and a 52 week high of $235.81. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $174.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $192.64.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $5.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.08 by $0.03. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.63% and a return on equity of 31.18%. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.93 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $5.01 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 20.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Redwood Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 1.1% during the first quarter. Redwood Investment Management LLC now owns 5,372 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,049,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Davis Capital Management boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 0.7% in the third quarter. Davis Capital Management now owns 9,712 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,529,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the period. Evergreen Capital Management LLC grew its position in AutoNation by 4.5% during the third quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 1,620 shares of the company’s stock worth $255,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its position in AutoNation by 33.0% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 306 shares of the company’s stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its stake in AutoNation by 73.9% during the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 193 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoNation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CFO Thomas A. Szlosek bought 1,081 shares over November 5–6 for about $199,801, and Director Jacqueline Travisano bought 530 shares for about $98,204. The purchases increased their respective holdings and may signal confidence in the company. AutoNation insider trading and filings
• Positive Sentiment: AutoNation’s Q3 earnings-call recap describes management as positive about growth, which could support investor sentiment. The recap also notes vehicle pressures. AutoNation earnings call highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target from $175 to $182 but maintained an “equal weight” rating; the revised target was still below the cited share price, limiting the positive implication. Morgan Stanley analyst recommendations
• Negative Sentiment: The earnings-call recap flags pressure in vehicle-related business, a potential headwind even as management highlighted growth. AutoNation earnings call highlights

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AN has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings lowered AutoNation from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Zacks Research downgraded AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Friday, October 16th. Stephens upped their price objective on AutoNation from $220.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on AutoNation from $248.00 to $213.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Argus lifted 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. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $228.20.

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.