Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC Sells 2,856 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC cut its stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 1.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 256,479 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,856 shares during the quarter. AutoNation accounts for 0.7% of Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC owned 0.70% of AutoNation worth $52,958,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of AN. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 355.3% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake 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 acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at about $48,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 126.1% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 251 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the business’s 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,456 shares in the company, valued at approximately $298,348.96. The trade was a 63.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of AN opened at $195.10 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.81. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $196.28 and a 200 day simple moving average of $202.03. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $176.62 and a 52-week high of $228.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.53 billion, a PE ratio of 10.57, a P/E/G ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.74.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.71 by ($0.02). AutoNation had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The business had revenue of $6.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.65 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.68 earnings per share. AutoNation’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. UBS Group assumed coverage on AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $234.00 price target for the company. Barclays upped their price target on AutoNation from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Stephens upped their price target on AutoNation from $228.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Bank of America assumed coverage on AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on AutoNation from $269.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Nine investment 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, AutoNation currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $246.90.

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.