First Trust Advisors LP Grows Stock Position in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 25.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 34,844 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 7,148 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.10% of AutoNation worth $6,804,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in AutoNation during the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at about $48,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% in 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 in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 49.7% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 259 shares of the company's stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC bought a new position in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth about $57,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

Key AutoNation News

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoNation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted second-quarter EPS rose to $5.56, exceeding the roughly $5.43–$5.48 analyst consensus. Net income increased 111% year over year to $182.1 million, helped by improved profitability. Revenue Miss, EV Sales Slump Send AutoNation Stock Lower
• Positive Sentiment: After-sales produced a record gross profit, customer-pay revenue grew 7%, and Customer Financial Services gross profit per unit increased 3%, demonstrating resilience in AutoNation’s higher-margin operations. The company also repurchased $457 million of stock during the first half and acquired four dealerships representing approximately $600 million in annual revenue. AutoNation Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects adjusted EPS growth in the second half and is targeting SG&A at 66% to 67% of gross profit by year-end, signaling a focus on operating leverage and expense discipline. AutoNation outlines SG&A target and second-half EPS growth
• Neutral Sentiment: AutoNation’s luxury-vehicle strategy is accelerating. While this could improve margins and mix over time, it also increases investor attention on demand trends in a more cyclical and potentially softer market. AutoNation beats on profit but misses revenue as luxury pivot accelerates
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue declined approximately 1% year over year to $6.93 billion, below the roughly $7 billion consensus. Lower new-vehicle sales and a slump in electric-vehicle sales reinforced concerns about softer dealership demand and ongoing macroeconomic pressure. AutoNation Revenue Falls on Lower New-Vehicle Sales

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total transaction of $512,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 1,456 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $298,348.96. This trade represents a 63.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of AutoNation stock opened at $213.22 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. The company's 50-day moving average price is $195.64 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $198.39. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $176.62 and a 52 week high of $235.81. The stock has a market cap of $7.13 billion, a PE ratio of 9.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.71.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.48 by $0.08. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.91% 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 period last year, the company posted $2.26 EPS. The company's revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group assumed coverage on AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $234.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on AutoNation from $208.00 to $202.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $269.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $240.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $246.18.

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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