Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC Invests $621,000 in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Key Points

• Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC has taken a new position in AutoNation, purchasing 3,835 shares valued at approximately $621,000.
• Analysts have set new price targets for AutoNation, with Bank of America increasing their target from $225 to $255 and JPMorgan Chase raising theirs from $185 to $205.
• AutoNation reported $5.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the last quarter, exceeding forecasts, with revenue also surpassing estimates at $6.97 billion.

Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 3,835 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $621,000.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 104.2% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,882 shares of the company's stock worth $952,000 after buying an additional 3,001 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 95.3% during the first quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 5,247 shares of the company's stock worth $850,000 after buying an additional 2,561 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter valued at about $503,000. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 9.7% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 987 shares of the company's stock valued at $160,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 1st quarter valued at about $5,162,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AN has been the subject of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $185.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on AutoNation from $209.00 to $221.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 14th. Guggenheim cut their target price on shares of AutoNation from $230.00 to $228.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Finally, Bank of America cut their target price on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $222.63.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AN traded down $0.14 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $224.86. 47,546 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 474,521. The stock has a market cap of $8.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.08, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.89. 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 twelve month low of $148.33 and a twelve month high of $228.92. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $208.32 and a 200-day moving average price of $188.21.

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

About AutoNation

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.