Vise Technologies Inc. Takes $501,000 Position in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Vise Technologies Inc. purchased a new position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 2,696 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $501,000.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of AN. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in AutoNation by 37.4% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 3rd quarter valued at about $48,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 49.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 259 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 33.0% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 306 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 2nd quarter valued at about $63,000. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Trading Down 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:AN opened at $195.27 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $200.64 and a 200 day moving average of $197.69. The company has a market cap of $6.46 billion, a PE ratio of 9.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12-month low of $176.62 and a 12-month high of $235.81.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AN has been the topic of a number of research reports. Stephens raised their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $255.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Argus upped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $241.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $250.00.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $198,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 7,989 shares in the company, valued at $1,757,580. This trade represents a 10.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.