AutoNation, Inc. $AN Stock Position Reduced by Empowered Funds LLC

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC cut its AutoNation stake by 73.3% in the first quarter, selling 9,404 shares and retaining 3,432 shares valued at approximately $670,000. Institutional investors collectively own 94.62% of the company.
• AutoNation reported quarterly EPS of $5.56, exceeding estimates of $5.48, while revenue reached $6.93 billion, slightly below forecasts and down 0.6% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $250, despite mixed target revisions. A company director also sold 900 shares at an average price of $220.

Empowered Funds LLC decreased its position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 73.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,432 shares of the company's stock after selling 9,404 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC's holdings in AutoNation were worth $670,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new position in AutoNation in the third quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in AutoNation by 37.4% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in AutoNation by 49.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 259 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 33.0% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 306 shares of the company's stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Monetary Solutions Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 4th quarter worth about $64,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoNation

In other news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $198,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 7,989 shares in the company, valued at $1,757,580. The trade was a 10.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

AutoNation Stock Down 2.1%

NYSE AN opened at $204.93 on Tuesday. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $176.62 and a 12 month high of $235.81. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $200.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $198.04. The company has a market capitalization of $6.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.49, a PEG ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.18.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $5.48 by $0.08. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.24% and a net margin of 2.82%.The business had revenue of $6.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.26 EPS. AutoNation's revenue for the quarter was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on AN. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $248.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Argus raised their price target on AutoNation from $241.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $235.00 to $210.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Northcoast Research raised shares of AutoNation from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $240.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, AutoNation has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $250.00.

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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