AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Bought by Foster & Motley Inc.

Foster & Motley Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 80.8% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 5,898 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,636 shares during the quarter. Foster & Motley Inc.’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $1,055,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 90.6% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 202 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in AutoNation during the second quarter worth approximately $37,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in AutoNation in the 1st quarter worth approximately $57,000. Quarry LP raised its holdings in AutoNation by 498.5% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 407 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 339 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mather Group LLC. purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 2nd quarter worth $103,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Trading Up 4.9 %

Shares of AN stock opened at $168.99 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. AutoNation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $129.32 and a fifty-two week high of $197.18. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $167.64 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $168.07. The stock has a market cap of $6.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 1.21.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on AN. Morgan Stanley raised AutoNation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $145.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on AutoNation from $187.00 to $181.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Stephens assumed coverage on shares of AutoNation in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 target price for the company. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Three research 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.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $199.00.

Insider Activity at AutoNation

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