AutoNation, Inc. $AN Shares Bought by Retirement Systems of Alabama

Retirement Systems of Alabama raised its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 17.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 79,095 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 11,522 shares during the period. Retirement Systems of Alabama owned about 0.25% of AutoNation worth $12,453,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Engineers Gate Manager LP boosted its position in AutoNation by 56.0% during the second quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 39,379 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,316,000 after purchasing an additional 14,134 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new position in AutoNation in the 2nd quarter worth about $3,474,000. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new position in AutoNation in the 2nd quarter worth about $2,000,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 967.8% during the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 18,750 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,483,000 after purchasing an additional 16,994 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PDT Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,824,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Price Performance

NYSE AN opened at $180.72 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $174.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $192.35. AutoNation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $151.82 and a twelve month high of $235.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.78 billion, a PE ratio of 9.16, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a current ratio of 0.77.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $5.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.08 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.93 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.18% and a net margin of 2.63%. The company’s revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $5.01 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 20.86 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at AutoNation

In other AutoNation news, CFO Thomas A. Szlosek acquired 541 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 6th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $184.56 per share, with a total value of $99,846.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 21,166 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,906,396.96. The trade was a 2.62% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jacqueline Travisano acquired 530 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 5th. The stock was bought at an average price of $185.29 per share, for a total transaction of $98,203.70. Following the purchase, the director owned 9,419 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,745,246.51. The trade was a 5.96% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders bought 1,611 shares of company stock valued at $298,005 over the last three months. 1.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on AN shares. Citigroup reduced their price target on AutoNation from $255.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on AutoNation from $175.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $255.00 price objective on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of AutoNation from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $185.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, November 4th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, AutoNation has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $228.20.

AutoNation Profile

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.