AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Bought by Meritage Portfolio Management

Meritage Portfolio Management raised its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 5.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,989 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 107 shares during the period. Meritage Portfolio Management’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $299,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 4.6% during the third quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 44,695 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,767,000 after acquiring an additional 1,983 shares during the last quarter. Mirabella Financial Services LLP purchased a new stake in AutoNation during the third quarter worth about $919,000. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky grew its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 69.6% in the third quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 11,569 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,752,000 after purchasing an additional 4,748 shares in the last quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,525,000. Finally, Dorsey Wright & Associates purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter worth approximately $1,329,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Stock Up 5.8 %

AN opened at $169.70 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $153.76 and its 200-day moving average is $144.64. AutoNation, Inc. has a one year low of $123.81 and a one year high of $182.08. The company has a market capitalization of $7.07 billion, a PE ratio of 7.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.24.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 26th. The company reported $4.49 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.49. The company had revenue of $6.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.49 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 3.79% and a return on equity of 48.76%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $6.05 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.26, for a total transaction of $16,126,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 4,167,270 shares in the company, valued at $672,013,960.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 100,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.26, for a total value of $16,126,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 4,167,270 shares in the company, valued at $672,013,960.20. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 10,804 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $154.56, for a total transaction of $1,669,866.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 4,267,860 shares in the company, valued at approximately $659,640,441.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 121,279 shares of company stock valued at $19,361,962 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.74% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $144.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, January 17th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $185.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com lowered AutoNation from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Finally, Guggenheim increased their price objective on AutoNation from $165.00 to $169.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, AutoNation presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $173.00.

AutoNation Profile

AutoNation, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as an automotive retailer in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Domestic, Import, and Premium Luxury. It offers a range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicles; and parts and services, such as automotive repair and maintenance, and wholesale parts and collision services.