State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D Sells 486 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D cut its holdings in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 10,877 shares of the company’s stock after selling 486 shares during the quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $1,946,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AN. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in AutoNation by 8.8% in the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,701 shares of the company’s stock valued at $305,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares during the period. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter worth about $214,000. Atria Investments Inc purchased a new position in AutoNation during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $507,000. Financial Strategies Group Inc. purchased a new position in AutoNation during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $361,000. Finally, Foster & Motley Inc. grew its holdings in AutoNation by 80.8% during the 3rd quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 5,898 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,055,000 after buying an additional 2,636 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Stock Down 1.3 %

AN opened at $164.80 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.40 and a beta of 1.21. AutoNation, Inc. has a one year low of $129.32 and a one year high of $197.18. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $166.85 and its 200-day simple moving average is $168.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.80.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Stephens began coverage on AutoNation in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley upgraded AutoNation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $145.00 to $200.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Bank of America dropped their target price on AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on AutoNation from $187.00 to $181.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $199.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoNation

In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.06, for a total value of $91,030.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 3,825,338 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $696,441,036.28. This represents a 0.01 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.74% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

AutoNation Profile

AutoNation, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as an automotive retailer in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Domestic, Import, and Premium Luxury. It offers a range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicles; and parts and services, such as automotive repair and maintenance, and wholesale parts and collision services.