AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Bought by Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt

Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt increased its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 25.0% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 5,500 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,100 shares during the quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $984,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in AutoNation by 90.6% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 202 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new position in AutoNation in the first quarter worth about $33,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in AutoNation in the second quarter valued at about $37,000. Denali Advisors LLC raised its stake in AutoNation by 79.7% during the first quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 248 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in AutoNation during the 1st quarter worth approximately $57,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Stock Performance

AN opened at $165.32 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65. The business’s 50 day moving average is $171.40 and its 200-day moving average is $167.54. The stock has a market cap of $6.66 billion, a PE ratio of 7.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 1.19. AutoNation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $123.81 and a twelve month high of $197.18.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $3.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.31 by ($0.32). AutoNation had a net margin of 2.93% and a return on equity of 36.50%. The business had revenue of $6.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.72 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $6.29 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 17.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 100,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.21, for a total transaction of $17,621,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,880,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $683,777,090.07. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 500 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.06, for a total transaction of $91,030.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,825,338 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $696,441,036.28. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 100,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.21, for a total transaction of $17,621,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,880,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $683,777,090.07. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 193,256 shares of company stock valued at $35,262,954 over the last 90 days. 0.74% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on AN. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on AutoNation from $164.00 to $187.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of AutoNation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $145.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Stephens initiated coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on AutoNation from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $201.75.

About AutoNation

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.