LSV Asset Management Has $108.63 Million Stake in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

LSV Asset Management decreased its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 2.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 526,125 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,100 shares during the quarter. LSV Asset Management’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $108,634,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its stake in AutoNation by 160.4% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 349 shares of the company’s stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. Mach 1 Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the 4th quarter worth about $556,000. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the 4th quarter worth about $2,247,000. IFP Advisors Inc raised its stake in AutoNation by 20.4% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 566 shares of the company’s stock worth $117,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC raised its stake in AutoNation by 6.0% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 2,629 shares of the company’s stock worth $543,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AutoNation news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total value of $512,275.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,456 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $298,348.96. This trade represents a 63.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

AutoNation Price Performance

AN stock opened at $190.20 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. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $176.25 and a 12 month high of $228.92. The firm has a market cap of $6.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.79. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $195.50 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $202.34.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.71 by ($0.02). AutoNation had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The firm had revenue of $6.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.65 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.68 earnings per share. AutoNation’s quarterly revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on AN shares. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Stephens lifted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $228.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $240.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $248.33.

AutoNation Company Profile

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.