Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Increases Stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. grew its position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 0.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 253,874 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 432 shares during the period. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. owned about 0.64% of AutoNation worth $45,423,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in AN. Boston Partners purchased a new position in AutoNation in the first quarter worth $170,270,000. WINTON GROUP Ltd purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation in the 2nd quarter valued at about $15,832,000. Lodge Hill Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the second quarter valued at about $15,141,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in AutoNation during the third quarter worth about $131,250,000. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC grew its position in AutoNation by 4,275.6% during the second quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 50,107 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,986,000 after buying an additional 51,307 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.43, for a total transaction of $7,189,355.42. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 3,786,144 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $694,492,393.92. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 500 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.06, for a total value of $91,030.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,825,338 shares in the company, valued at $696,441,036.28. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.74% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.9 %

NYSE AN traded up $1.48 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $168.54. 5,946 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 429,863. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $129.32 and a 1-year high of $197.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.68 billion, a PE ratio of 9.64, a PEG ratio of 3.40 and a beta of 1.21. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $166.76 and its 200 day simple moving average is $168.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.80.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AN has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Bank of America decreased their price target on AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 14th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on AutoNation from $187.00 to $181.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Morgan Stanley raised AutoNation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $145.00 to $200.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Stephens began coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 target price for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $199.00.

About AutoNation

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.