Key Points
- Director Jacqueline Travisano bought 530 AutoNation shares for about $98,204, increasing her stake by 5.96% to 9,419 shares. The article also reports a separate recent purchase by CFO Thomas Szlosek.
- AutoNation’s latest quarter slightly beat earnings and revenue expectations, reporting $5.11 per share and $7.01 billion in revenue; revenue was down 0.4% year over year.
- Analysts’ consensus rating is Hold, with an average price target of $228.20. Recent target changes were mixed, including Morgan Stanley’s increase to $182 while retaining an equal-weight rating.
AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) Director Jacqueline Travisano acquired 530 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 5th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $185.29 per share, with a total value of $98,203.70. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 9,419 shares in the company, valued at $1,745,246.51. This represents a 5.96% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.
AutoNation Stock Performance
AN stock opened at $186.31 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.96 billion, a PE ratio of 8.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12-month low of $151.82 and a 12-month high of $235.81. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $175.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $192.81.
AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $5.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $5.08 by $0.03. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.63% and a return on equity of 31.18%. The company had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.93 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.01 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 20.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of research firms have recently weighed in on AN. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on AutoNation from $175.00 to $182.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday. Argus upped their price objective on AutoNation from $241.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Stephens upped their price target on AutoNation from $220.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of AutoNation from $248.00 to $213.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $228.20.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on AutoNation
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Intech Investment Management LLC raised its position in AutoNation by 9.2% in the 3rd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 31,121 shares of the company's stock worth $4,900,000 after purchasing an additional 2,625 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 153.3% during the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 646 shares of the company's stock worth $101,000 after purchasing an additional 391 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in AutoNation by 59.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,305 shares of the company's stock worth $363,000 after buying an additional 855 shares during the period. IFG Advisory LLC purchased a new position in AutoNation in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,514,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in AutoNation by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 21,819 shares of the company's stock worth $3,435,000 after acquiring an additional 779 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Key Headlines Impacting AutoNation
Here are the key news stories impacting AutoNation this week:
- Positive Sentiment: CFO Thomas A. Szlosek bought 1,081 shares across November 5 and 6 for about $199,801, increasing his holdings. Director Jacqueline Travisano also purchased 530 shares for about $98,204. These open-market purchases may indicate confidence in AutoNation’s prospects. CFO SEC filing Director SEC filing
- Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target from $175 to $182 but kept an “equal weight” rating. The new target is still below the cited share price of $186.31, tempering the benefit of the increase. Morgan Stanley analyst recommendations
About AutoNation
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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