AutoNation, Inc. $AN Shares Sold by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP reduced its AutoNation stake by 10.7%, selling 167,521 shares and now holds 1,392,653 shares (about 3.82% of the company) valued at roughly $304.66 million.
• AutoNation reported an EPS beat of $5.08 versus $4.91 expected while revenue fell 3.9% year-over-year to $6.93 billion; the stock trades at a P/E of 11.32 with a market cap of $6.71 billion.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive—AutoNation has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $248.67, and several firms have issued Buy/Outperform or upgraded ratings (e.g., Evercore and JPMorgan).

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lowered its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 10.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,392,653 shares of the company's stock after selling 167,521 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned approximately 3.82% of AutoNation worth $304,663,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. HM Payson & Co. purchased a new stake in AutoNation during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter valued at about $37,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 355.3% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 173 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 2,477.8% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 232 shares of the company's stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Price Performance

AN opened at $193.19 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.39. The company's 50-day moving average price is $207.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $210.41. AutoNation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $148.33 and a fifty-two week high of $228.92. The firm has a market cap of $6.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.32 and a beta of 0.89.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported $5.08 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.91 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $6.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.21 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.69% and a net margin of 2.35%.AutoNation's quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.97 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Bank of America assumed coverage on AutoNation in a report on Wednesday. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Barclays cut their target price on shares of AutoNation from $250.00 to $245.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on AutoNation from $222.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. Evercore boosted their price objective on AutoNation from $240.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded AutoNation from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $235.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $248.67.

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.

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