Hsbc Holdings PLC Buys 16,994 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 967.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 18,750 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 16,994 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned 0.06% of AutoNation worth $3,483,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Insider Activity at AutoNation

In related news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $198,000.00. Following the completion of 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Stock Performance

NYSE AN opened at $206.93 on Friday. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $176.62 and a 52-week high of $235.81. The company has a fifty day moving average of $204.59 and a 200-day moving average of $197.56. The company has a market capitalization of $6.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a current ratio of 0.78.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 EPS 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.26 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AN has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Seaport Research Partners restated a "buy" rating and set a $255.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded AutoNation from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on AutoNation from $235.00 to $210.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Argus boosted their target price on AutoNation from $241.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on AutoNation from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, AutoNation presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $250.00.

About AutoNation

AutoNation, Inc is a leading automotive retailer in the United States. The company sells new and used vehicles through a network of franchised dealerships and provides automotive services including vehicle financing, insurance products, maintenance, repair, parts, and collision-repair services.

In addition to its manufacturer-branded dealerships, AutoNation operates AutoNation USA locations focused primarily on used vehicles and offers digital tools that allow customers to research, purchase, finance, and service vehicles online.

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