AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Sold by Victory Capital Management Inc.

Victory Capital Management Inc. trimmed its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 85.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,955 shares of the company’s stock after selling 64,672 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $1,746,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Boston Partners acquired a new position in AutoNation during the 1st quarter valued at about $170,270,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $42,748,000. Eminence Capital LP increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 84.4% during the fourth quarter. Eminence Capital LP now owns 261,940 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,338,000 after acquiring an additional 119,866 shares during the period. UBS Group AG raised its holdings in AutoNation by 696.2% during the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 45,191 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,787,000 after purchasing an additional 39,515 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its position in AutoNation by 44.9% in the fourth quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 120,232 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,056,000 after purchasing an additional 37,252 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of AutoNation stock opened at $170.84 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $172.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $165.42. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $123.81 and a 52-week high of $197.18. The firm has a market cap of $6.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.10, a P/E/G ratio of 3.20 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.21.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on AutoNation from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Stephens initiated coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $164.00 to $187.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price target on 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $194.25.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoNation

In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 23,703 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.29, for a total value of $4,083,789.87. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,980,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $685,794,659.43. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 23,703 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 $685,794,659.43. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.43, for a total value 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 sold 216,959 shares of company stock worth $39,346,744 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.74% of the company’s stock.

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.