AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Sold by Envestnet Asset Management Inc.

Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lessened its stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 12.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 29,249 shares of the company's stock after selling 4,031 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. owned 0.07% of AutoNation worth $4,736,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AN. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the company's stock worth $657,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 74.9% during the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 9,705 shares of the company's stock worth $1,648,000 after purchasing an additional 4,156 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 8.7% during the fourth quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 15,697 shares of the company's stock worth $2,667,000 after purchasing an additional 1,253 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth about $883,000. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,136,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AN has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 10th. Cfra Research raised AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on AutoNation from $187.00 to $209.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price objective on AutoNation from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $209.88.

AutoNation Price Performance

AN stock traded up $3.12 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $203.37. 970,885 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 474,739. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $195.92 and its 200-day moving average price is $182.99. The stock has a market cap of $7.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.03, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.99. AutoNation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $148.33 and a fifty-two week high of $217.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.72, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 0.77.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 25th. The company reported $5.46 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.70 by $0.76. The firm had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.77 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.08% and a net margin of 2.51%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.99 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

AutoNation 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.