Lodge Hill Capital LLC Takes $15.14 Million Position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Lodge Hill Capital LLC acquired a new position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 95,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,141,000. AutoNation accounts for approximately 4.1% of Lodge Hill Capital LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest holding. Lodge Hill Capital LLC owned approximately 0.24% of AutoNation at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Boston Partners acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation during the first quarter valued at $170,270,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter worth about $42,748,000. Eminence Capital LP lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 84.4% in the 4th quarter. Eminence Capital LP now owns 261,940 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,338,000 after acquiring an additional 119,866 shares during the period. WINTON GROUP Ltd bought a new position in shares of AutoNation in the second quarter valued at approximately $15,832,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 2.7% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,605,708 shares of the company’s stock valued at $255,910,000 after acquiring an additional 41,712 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AutoNation Trading Down 2.1 %

AutoNation stock opened at $174.51 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $172.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $165.69. 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 52 week low of $123.81 and a 52 week high of $197.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.27, a P/E/G ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 1.20.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $3.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.31 by ($0.32). The business had revenue of $6.48 billion for 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 quarterly revenue was down 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $6.29 EPS. Research analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 17.67 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on AN shares. Evercore ISI upped their target price on AutoNation from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on AutoNation from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted 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. Stephens started coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $194.25.

Insider Activity

In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 23,703 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.29, for a total transaction of $4,083,789.87. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly 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 is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 23,703 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.29, for a total transaction of $4,083,789.87. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,980,467 shares in the company, valued at $685,794,659.43. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 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 sale, the insider now directly owns 3,880,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $683,777,090.07. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 216,959 shares of company stock worth $39,346,744 in the last 90 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.