7,500 Shares in AutoNation, Inc. $AN Purchased by Louisiana State Employees Retirement System

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 7,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,464,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AN. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new position in AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at about $48,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in AutoNation by 49.7% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 259 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the period. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter worth $57,000. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of AutoNation stock opened at $186.34 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $193.19 and its 200-day simple moving average is $199.42. The firm has a market cap of $6.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.75. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $176.62 and a 52-week high of $228.92.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.71 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $6.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.65 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 2.47%.The company’s revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.68 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoNation

In related news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the company’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 sale, the chief accounting officer owned 1,456 shares in the company, valued at $298,348.96. This represents a 63.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AN has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $234.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on AutoNation from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $240.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on AutoNation from $269.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $246.90.

About AutoNation

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.