7,660 Shares in AutoNation, Inc. $AN Acquired by Kendall Capital Management

Kendall Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm purchased 7,660 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,423,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of AN. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter worth $48,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 49.7% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 259 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its holdings in AutoNation by 33.0% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 306 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC purchased a new position in AutoNation in the second quarter valued at $63,000. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Barclays increased their price objective on AutoNation from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $248.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Citigroup boosted their target price on AutoNation from $287.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on AutoNation from $235.00 to $210.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $250.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoNation

In other news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of the business’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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 7,989 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,757,580. The trade was a 10.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AN opened at $198.86 on Friday. 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 $6.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.21, a P/E/G ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.18. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $200.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $197.84.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.48 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $6.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.82% and a return on equity of 31.24%. AutoNation’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.26 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.