AutoNation (NYSE:AN) CFO Purchases 540 Shares of Company Stock

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) CFO Thomas Szlosek purchased 540 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 5th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $185.10 per share, for a total transaction of $99,954.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 20,625 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,817,687.50. This represents a 2.69% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

AutoNation Price Performance

AutoNation stock traded up $2.31 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $186.31. 439,749 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 463,137. The firm has a market cap of $5.96 billion, a PE ratio of 8.95, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.17. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $175.51 and a 200-day simple moving average of $192.98. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $151.82 and a 12 month high of $235.81.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $5.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.08 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.93 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.63% and a return on equity of 31.18%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $5.01 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 20.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its position in AutoNation by 73.9% during the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 193 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the second quarter valued at about $63,000. Heritage Family Offices LLP bought a new stake in AutoNation during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $67,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in AutoNation during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $85,000. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on AN shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded AutoNation from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $185.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, November 4th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on AutoNation from $175.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday. Seaport Research Partners restated a “buy” rating and set a $255.00 price objective on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Argus raised their price objective on AutoNation from $241.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, AutoNation presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $228.20.

About AutoNation

AutoNation, Inc is a U.S. automotive retailer that sells new and used vehicles through a network of dealerships. Its stores offer vehicles from a range of manufacturers, along with related products and services.

The company also provides vehicle maintenance and repair, parts, and collision-repair services. Its offerings include financing and insurance products, as well as online tools that support vehicle research and purchasing.

Founded in 1996, AutoNation operates dealerships across the United States, with a presence concentrated in the Sun Belt.