Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. Buys 137 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 8.8% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,701 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 137 shares during the quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $305,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of AN. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $214,000. Atria Investments Inc bought a new stake in AutoNation during the third quarter worth $507,000. Financial Strategies Group Inc. purchased a new position in AutoNation in the third quarter worth $361,000. Foster & Motley Inc. boosted its position in AutoNation by 80.8% in the third quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 5,898 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,055,000 after purchasing an additional 2,636 shares during the last quarter. Finally, QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in AutoNation by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,305 shares of the company’s stock valued at $949,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.06, for a total transaction of $91,030.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 3,825,338 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $696,441,036.28. This represents a 0.01 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.74% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on AN shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $187.00 to $181.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 14th. Morgan Stanley upgraded AutoNation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $145.00 to $200.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Finally, Stephens started coverage on AutoNation in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 target price for the company. Three 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 an average price target of $199.00.

AutoNation Stock Down 1.3 %

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

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.