AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Acquired by EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC

EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 1,507.3% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 884 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 829 shares during the quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $141,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System grew its position in AutoNation by 54.1% during the 1st quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 51,743 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,568,000 after purchasing an additional 18,157 shares during the period. Mutual Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in AutoNation during the first quarter worth about $1,484,000. Sanders Morris Harris LLC purchased a new position in AutoNation during the first quarter valued at approximately $828,000. Bridgewater Associates LP lifted its holdings in AutoNation by 20.5% in the fourth quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP now owns 107,558 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,153,000 after acquiring an additional 18,278 shares during the period. Finally, Diversified Trust Co purchased a new stake in AutoNation in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $838,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 23,703 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.29, for a total transaction of $4,083,789.87. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,980,467 shares in the company, valued at $685,794,659.43. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 53,562 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.45, for a total value of $10,361,568.90. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,825,838 shares in the company, valued at approximately $740,108,361.10. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 23,703 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.29, for a total transaction of $4,083,789.87. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 3,980,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $685,794,659.43. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 216,959 shares of company stock worth $39,346,744 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.74% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

AutoNation Stock Performance

NYSE AN opened at $178.11 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.21. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $172.82 and its 200-day simple moving average is $166.52. The company has a market cap of $7.17 billion, a PE ratio of 8.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.20. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $123.81 and a 1-year high of $197.18.

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

AutoNation 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.