AutoNation, Inc. $AN Shares Sold by Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC cut its stake in AutoNation by 80.7% in Q4, selling 5,169 shares and leaving 1,237 shares valued at about $255,000, while institutional investors still own roughly 94.6% of the stock.
• Analysts are generally positive with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $246.89, amid recent coverage and target changes from firms including Bank of America, Barclays and Morgan Stanley.
• AutoNation shares trade around $200.47 (12‑month range $155.29–$228.92) with a P/E of 11.75; the company reported Q4 EPS of $5.08 (above estimates) but missed on revenue, and carries a debt/equity ratio of 2.39.

Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC reduced its stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 80.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,237 shares of the company's stock after selling 5,169 shares during the period. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in AutoNation were worth $255,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. HM Payson & Co. bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 355.3% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 173 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on AN shares. Bank of America started coverage on AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut AutoNation from a "buy (b)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Stephens lifted their price target on AutoNation from $228.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Barclays cut their price target on AutoNation from $245.00 to $240.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on AutoNation from $233.00 to $238.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $246.89.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AN opened at $200.47 on Friday. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $155.29 and a 12 month high of $228.92. The stock has a market cap of $6.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.75 and a beta of 0.81. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $196.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $205.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.39, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.22.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported $5.08 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.91 by $0.17. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.69% and a net margin of 2.35%.The firm had revenue of $6.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.21 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.97 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About AutoNation

AutoNation, Inc is the largest automotive retailer in the United States, operating a network of franchised new vehicle dealerships, pre-owned vehicle superstores and collision-repair centers. The company offers a comprehensive range of automotive products and services, including the sale of new cars and light trucks from leading manufacturers, certified pre-owned vehicles and a wide selection of used models. In addition to retail vehicle sales, AutoNation provides financing, insurance and extended service contracts through its in-house financial services division, as well as genuine and aftermarket parts, factory-recommended maintenance and collision-repair services.

Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, AutoNation was founded in 1996 by entrepreneur H.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.