AutoNation, Inc. $AN Shares Sold by Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. sold 10,294 shares of AutoNation, Inc., reducing its holdings by 22.6%, leaving them with approximately 35,330 shares valued at around $7 million.
• Institutional investors continue to dominate AutoNation's stock ownership, holding 94.62% of the company's shares, indicating strong investor interest.
• AutoNation's latest quarterly earnings surpassed expectations, reporting $5.46 earnings per share on revenues of $6.97 billion, up 7.6% from the previous year.

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. reduced its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 22.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 35,330 shares of the company's stock after selling 10,294 shares during the quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. owned 0.09% of AutoNation worth $7,018,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AN. Curat Global LLC bought a new position in AutoNation during the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% during the 1st 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. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted 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 worth $74,000 after buying an additional 206 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its position 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 buying an additional 117 shares during the period. Finally, SVB Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the first quarter worth $86,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Trading Down 1.3%

Shares of NYSE AN traded down $2.97 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $218.13. The company had a trading volume of 942,296 shares, compared to its average volume of 403,028. 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 52 week low of $148.33 and a 52 week high of $228.92. The business's 50-day moving average is $209.80 and its 200-day moving average is $190.58. The stock has a market cap of $8.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.89.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on AN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on AutoNation from $185.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 10th. Guggenheim reduced their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $230.00 to $228.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $209.00 to $221.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $222.63.

AutoNation Company 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.