Inspire Investing LLC Buys 1,706 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Key Points

• Inspire Investing LLC increased its stake in AutoNation, Inc. by 14.0% during Q1, owning 13,900 shares valued at approximately $2.25 million.
• AutoNation's stock climbed by 1.8% recently, with a market cap of $8.57 billion and a one-year high of $228.92.
• Recent analyst reports show mixed opinions on AutoNation, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $222.63.

Inspire Investing LLC raised its position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 14.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,900 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,706 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC's holdings in AutoNation were worth $2,251,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% in the first 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. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in AutoNation by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 7,580 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,227,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the period. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 4,918 shares of the company's stock valued at $796,000 after buying an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 7.2% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 1,223 shares of the company's stock valued at $208,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ethic Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 4,635 shares of the company's stock worth $761,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on AN. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 14th. Stephens upped their price objective on AutoNation from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on AutoNation from $209.00 to $221.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Guggenheim decreased their price target on AutoNation from $230.00 to $228.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on AutoNation from $185.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, AutoNation currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $222.63.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AN traded up $2.09 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $221.99. The stock had a trading volume of 71,884 shares, compared to its average volume of 474,385. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.37 billion, a PE ratio of 13.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.21. 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 price is $209.41 and its 200 day moving average price is $189.62.

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. 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 period last year, the firm posted $3.99 EPS. The business's revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities 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.