Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Has $1.52 Million Stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. increased its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 9.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 8,503 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 763 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $1,521,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 15,058 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,493,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE increased its position in AutoNation by 17.5% during the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,149 shares of the company’s stock worth $521,000 after buying an additional 468 shares during the last quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System increased its position in AutoNation by 54.1% during the first quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 51,743 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,568,000 after buying an additional 18,157 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL raised its holdings in AutoNation by 17.3% during the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 2,741 shares of the company’s stock valued at $454,000 after buying an additional 405 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 22.8% in the first quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 9,511 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,575,000 after buying an additional 1,769 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Stephens initiated coverage on shares of AutoNation in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on AutoNation from $187.00 to $181.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Morgan Stanley raised AutoNation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the company from $145.00 to $200.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 14th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $199.00.

AutoNation Stock Performance

AN opened at $164.80 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $6.53 billion, a PE ratio of 9.50, a P/E/G ratio of 3.40 and a beta of 1.21. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $129.32 and a 1 year high of $197.18. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $166.85 and its 200-day simple moving average is $168.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58.

Insider Transactions at AutoNation

In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the insider now owns 3,786,144 shares in the company, valued at $694,492,393.92. This trade represents a 1.02 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.74% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.