Foster & Motley Inc. Acquires Shares of 17,492 AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Foster & Motley Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 17,492 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,250,000. Foster & Motley Inc. owned approximately 0.05% of AutoNation at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its holdings in AutoNation by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 9,494 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,960,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in AutoNation by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,668 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,170,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC boosted its stake in AutoNation by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 6,288 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,376,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Redwood Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in AutoNation by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Redwood Investment Management LLC now owns 5,372 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,049,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC grew its holdings in AutoNation by 13.3% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 519 shares of the company’s stock valued at $114,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Stock Down 3.7%

Shares of NYSE AN opened at $197.41 on Wednesday. AutoNation, Inc. has a one year low of $176.62 and a one year high of $235.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.53 billion, a PE ratio of 9.14, a P/E/G ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.18. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $200.16 and its 200-day moving average price is $197.91.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.48 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $6.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.82% and a return on equity of 31.24%. AutoNation’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.26 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.69 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $255.00 price objective on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Stephens lifted their price target on AutoNation from $220.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $250.00.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $198,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 7,989 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,757,580. This represents a 10.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation 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.