Institute for Wealth Management LLC. Invests $2.09 Million in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Key Points

• Institute for Wealth Management LLC bought 10,118 shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter, a new position valued at approximately $2.09 million, and institutional investors now own about 94.62% of the stock.
• AutoNation reported quarterly EPS of $5.08, beating estimates while revenue fell 3.9% year-over-year and missed expectations; the company trades at a PE of 12.20 with a market cap near $7.14 billion.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but overall favorable—MarketBeat shows an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target price of $244.33, alongside recent upgrades (e.g., BofA, JPMorgan) and some price-target cuts (e.g., Citi, Wells Fargo).

Institute for Wealth Management LLC. purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 10,118 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,089,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter worth about $1,140,000. Simcoe Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the third quarter worth approximately $18,988,000. Davis Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the third quarter worth approximately $2,024,000. 44 Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the third quarter worth approximately $1,378,000. Finally, Dynasty Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 65.2% in the third quarter. Dynasty Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,991 shares of the company's stock worth $1,529,000 after acquiring an additional 2,759 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of AN opened at $208.08 on Friday. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $155.29 and a 52-week high of $228.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.39, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 0.84. The business's 50 day moving average price is $195.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $204.63. The firm has a market cap of $7.14 billion, a PE ratio of 12.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.81.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported $5.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.91 by $0.17. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.69% and a net margin of 2.35%.The firm had revenue of $6.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.21 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.97 earnings per share. The company's revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Bank of America assumed coverage on AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. Stephens lifted their price objective on AutoNation from $228.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised AutoNation from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $235.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Citigroup cut their price objective on AutoNation from $280.00 to $269.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on AutoNation from $230.00 to $207.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $244.33.

AutoNation Profile

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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