AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Bought by Inspire Investing LLC

Inspire Investing LLC grew its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 5.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,836 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 516 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $1,727,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Jones Financial Companies Lllp acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 90.6% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 202 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 2nd quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Denali Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 79.7% during the 1st quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 248 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 26th. The stock was 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 directly owns 3,786,144 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $694,492,393.92. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 23,703 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.29, for a total value of $4,083,789.87. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 3,980,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $685,794,659.43. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.43, for a total transaction of $7,189,355.42. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,786,144 shares in the company, valued at $694,492,393.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 216,959 shares of company stock valued at $39,346,744 over the last quarter. 0.74% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on AutoNation from $164.00 to $187.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Stephens initiated coverage on AutoNation in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America upped their price target on AutoNation from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, June 10th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, AutoNation presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $194.25.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AN opened at $178.33 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $172.79 and its 200-day simple moving average is $165.51. The firm has a market cap of $7.08 billion, a PE ratio of 8.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 1.20. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12-month low of $123.81 and a 12-month high of $197.18. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $3.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $6.29 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 17.67 EPS for the current year.

AutoNation Company 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.