Ameritas Advisory Services LLC Takes $527,000 Position in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Key Points

• Ameritas Advisory Services LLC has acquired a new position in AutoNation, buying 2,651 shares worth approximately $527,000 in the 2nd quarter.
• A significant 94.62% of AutoNation's stock is owned by hedge funds and institutional investors, reflecting strong interest from the investment community.
• Recent analyst ratings show a consensus target price of $222.63 for AutoNation stock, with mix ratings including one Strong Buy and several Hold and Buy ratings.

Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 2,651 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $527,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 37.4% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 81.1% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 460 shares of the company's stock valued at $74,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 45.3% in the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 375 shares of the company's stock worth $74,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. SVB Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the first quarter worth approximately $86,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 56.8% during the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 839 shares of the company's stock worth $136,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Bank of America decreased their price objective on AutoNation from $255.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 10th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of AutoNation from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, September 13th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of AutoNation from $209.00 to $221.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Saturday, September 27th. Finally, Stephens increased their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $222.63.

AutoNation Trading Down 2.1%

Shares of AN stock opened at $219.73 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84. AutoNation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $148.33 and a twelve month high of $228.92. The company's 50-day moving average price is $213.76 and its 200-day moving average price is $194.99. The stock has a market cap of $8.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.77, a PEG ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.85.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 25th. The company reported $5.46 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.70 by $0.76. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 31.12%. The company had revenue of $6.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.77 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.99 earnings per share. AutoNation's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

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.

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