AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Bought by NBC Securities Inc.

NBC Securities Inc. raised its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 28.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 802 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 176 shares during the period. NBC Securities Inc.’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $143,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in AN. Inspire Investing LLC raised its position in AutoNation by 12.5% in the third quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 12,194 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,182,000 after purchasing an additional 1,358 shares during the period. Ritholtz Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 1.8% in the third quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 10,184 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,822,000 after buying an additional 179 shares in the last quarter. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 5.7% in the 3rd quarter. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC now owns 2,552 shares of the company’s stock valued at $420,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the period. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt lifted its stake in AutoNation by 25.0% during the 3rd quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt now owns 5,500 shares of the company’s stock worth $984,000 after acquiring an additional 1,100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fulton Bank N.A. boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 13.3% during the 3rd quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 1,831 shares of the company’s stock valued at $328,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.1 %

NYSE:AN opened at $169.14 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.78. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $123.81 and a 1 year high of $197.18. The stock has a market cap of $6.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.26, a P/E/G ratio of 3.34 and a beta of 1.19. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $171.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $167.67.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $3.99 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.31 by ($0.32). The company had revenue of $6.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.93% and a return on equity of 36.50%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $6.29 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 17.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on AN. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 14th. Stephens began coverage on shares of AutoNation in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $187.00 to $181.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Morgan Stanley upgraded AutoNation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $145.00 to $200.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on AutoNation from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $200.38.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.06, for a total value of $91,030.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,825,338 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $696,441,036.28. The trade was 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 firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,786,144 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $694,492,393.92. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.06, for a total transaction of $91,030.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,825,338 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $696,441,036.28. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 93,256 shares of company stock worth $17,641,954 in the last ninety days. 0.74% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.