AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Sold by Quent Capital LLC

Quent Capital LLC cut its holdings in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 1.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,746 shares of the company’s stock after selling 76 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $1,212,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Boston Partners purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the first quarter worth approximately $170,270,000. Eminence Capital LP raised its position in AutoNation by 84.4% during the 4th quarter. Eminence Capital LP now owns 261,940 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,338,000 after buying an additional 119,866 shares during the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the second quarter valued at about $15,832,000. Lodge Hill Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the second quarter valued at about $15,141,000. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 4,275.6% during the second quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 50,107 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,986,000 after acquiring an additional 51,307 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of AutoNation stock traded up $1.76 on Friday, hitting $171.25. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 591,494 shares, compared to its average volume of 412,007. The company has a market capitalization of $6.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 1.19. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $123.81 and a 52-week high of $197.18. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $173.00 and a 200-day moving average price of $167.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its quarterly 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). AutoNation had a net margin of 2.93% and a return on equity of 36.50%. The business had revenue of $6.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $6.29 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 17.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at AutoNation

In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, the insider now directly owns 3,786,144 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $694,492,393.92. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.43, for a total value of $7,189,355.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,786,144 shares in the company, valued at approximately $694,492,393.92. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 100,000 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.21, for a total value of $17,621,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,880,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $683,777,090.07. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 216,959 shares of company stock valued at $39,346,744 over the last three months. 0.74% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on AutoNation from $164.00 to $187.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Stephens assumed coverage on AutoNation in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on AutoNation from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, June 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, AutoNation has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $201.75.

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.