AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Acquired by Foster & Motley Inc.

Foster & Motley Inc. lifted its stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 80.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,898 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 2,636 shares during the period. Foster & Motley Inc.’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $1,055,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Private Advisor Group LLC increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 43.9% during the first quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 2,538 shares of the company’s stock worth $420,000 after purchasing an additional 774 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in AutoNation in the first quarter valued at approximately $208,000. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp lifted its stake in AutoNation by 1.3% in the first quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp now owns 22,700 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,759,000 after buying an additional 293 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 29.8% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 17,610 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,916,000 after acquiring an additional 4,047 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 501.5% during the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 5,576 shares of the company’s stock worth $923,000 after acquiring an additional 4,649 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of AutoNation from $187.00 to $181.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Morgan Stanley raised 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 report on Wednesday, September 25th. Stephens started coverage on AutoNation in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price objective on AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 14th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $199.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.43, for a total transaction of $7,189,355.42. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,786,144 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $694,492,393.92. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.43, for a total transaction of $7,189,355.42. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,786,144 shares in the company, valued at approximately $694,492,393.92. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.06, for a total transaction of $91,030.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,825,338 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $696,441,036.28. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.74% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of AN opened at $168.99 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $167.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $168.07. AutoNation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $129.32 and a twelve month high of $197.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.70 billion, a PE ratio of 9.75, a P/E/G ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 1.21.

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.