Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC Has $52.96 Million Stock Position in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC lowered its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 1.1% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 256,479 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,856 shares during the period. AutoNation makes up 0.7% of Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position. Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $52,958,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC boosted its position in AutoNation by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 6,288 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,376,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its position in AutoNation by 13.3% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 519 shares of the company’s stock worth $114,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Crestwood Advisors Group LLC boosted its position in AutoNation by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. Crestwood Advisors Group LLC now owns 2,076 shares of the company’s stock worth $454,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. 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 acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mitchell Sinkler & Starr PA boosted its position in AutoNation by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Mitchell Sinkler & Starr PA now owns 2,183 shares of the company’s stock worth $451,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total value of $512,275.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 1,456 shares in the company, valued at approximately $298,348.96. This represents a 63.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Trading Up 5.0%

NYSE AN opened at $195.10 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $6.53 billion, a PE ratio of 10.57, a PEG ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. 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 of $196.28 and a 200-day moving average of $202.03.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.71 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $6.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.65 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.68 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Bank of America assumed coverage on AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. UBS Group initiated coverage on AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $234.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $240.00 price objective on shares of AutoNation in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on AutoNation from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $246.90.

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.