Edgestream Partners L.P. Has $10.53 Million Position in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Edgestream Partners L.P. grew its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 54.4% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 53,948 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 19,002 shares during the quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P.’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $10,534,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in AN. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in AutoNation by 37.4% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $48,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 49.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 259 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the period. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at $57,000. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Northcoast Research raised shares of AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $240.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $269.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $208.00 to $202.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 6th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on AutoNation in a research report 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. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoNation presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $246.18.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,456 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $298,348.96. This represents a 63.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Stock Up 4.3%

AutoNation stock opened at $229.90 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.75. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $194.57 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $198.38. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $176.62 and a 1-year high of $235.81. 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 (NYSE:AN) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.71 by ($0.02). AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 2.47%.The business had revenue of $6.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.65 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm 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 21.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.