AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Director Jacqueline Travisano Purchases 530 Shares of Stock

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Director Jacqueline Travisano purchased 530 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 5th. The shares were bought at an average price of $185.29 per share, with a total value of $98,203.70. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 9,419 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,745,246.51. The trade was a 5.96% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AN opened at $186.31 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $175.23 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $192.81. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $151.82 and a 1-year high of $235.81. The stock has a market cap of $5.96 billion, a PE ratio of 8.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.82.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $5.11 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.08 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.93 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.63% and a return on equity of 31.18%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $5.01 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 20.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting AutoNation

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoNation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CFO Thomas A. Szlosek bought 1,081 shares across November 5 and 6 for about $199,801, increasing his holdings. Director Jacqueline Travisano also purchased 530 shares for about $98,204. These open-market purchases may indicate confidence in AutoNation’s prospects. CFO SEC filing Director SEC filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target from $175 to $182 but kept an “equal weight” rating. The new target is still below the cited share price of $186.31, tempering the benefit of the increase. Morgan Stanley analyst recommendations

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on AN shares. Argus boosted their target price on AutoNation from $241.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of AutoNation from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $185.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, November 4th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Stephens lifted their target price on AutoNation from $220.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 3rd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $228.20.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in AutoNation during the 2nd quarter valued at $438,689,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in AutoNation by 4.0% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,478,991 shares of the company’s stock worth $288,784,000 after purchasing an additional 56,641 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in AutoNation by 8.7% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 383,615 shares of the company’s stock valued at $74,905,000 after acquiring an additional 30,725 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the second quarter valued at approximately $36,925,000. Finally, Wedge Capital Management L L P NC lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 8.2% during the second quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 186,969 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,737,000 after purchasing an additional 14,115 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AutoNation Company Profile

AutoNation, Inc is a U.S. automotive retailer that sells new and used vehicles through a network of dealerships. Its stores offer vehicles from a range of manufacturers, along with related products and services.

The company also provides vehicle maintenance and repair, parts, and collision-repair services. Its offerings include financing and insurance products, as well as online tools that support vehicle research and purchasing.

Founded in 1996, AutoNation operates dealerships across the United States, with a presence concentrated in the Sun Belt.