AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Acquired by Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC

Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 4.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,712 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $257,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 44,695 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,767,000 after purchasing an additional 1,983 shares in the last quarter. Mirabella Financial Services LLP acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at $919,000. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 69.6% in the 3rd 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 acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,525,000. Finally, Dorsey Wright & Associates acquired a new stake in AutoNation during the 3rd quarter worth $1,329,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AN has been the topic of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of AutoNation from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $144.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $185.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of AutoNation from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $117.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $174.25.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of AutoNation stock opened at $154.11 on Friday. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $123.81 and a 1 year high of $182.08. 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 company has a market capitalization of $6.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.80, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 1.24. The company’s fifty day moving average is $152.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $143.96.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $5.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.85 by $0.17. AutoNation had a net margin of 3.79% and a return on equity of 48.76%. The company had revenue of $6.77 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.67 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $6.37 EPS. AutoNation’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 3,133 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $152.28, for a total value of $477,093.24. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 464 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $70,657.92. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 3,133 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $152.28, for a total value of $477,093.24. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 464 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $70,657.92. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 380,497 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.12, for a total transaction of $54,456,730.64. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 4,278,664 shares in the company, valued at approximately $612,362,391.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 501,776 shares of company stock valued at $73,818,692. Insiders own 0.74% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Company 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.