Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt Increases Stake in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Key Points

• Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt increased its stake in AutoNation, Inc. by 62.7% during the 2nd quarter, now holding 8,950 shares valued at approximately $1.78 million.
• Multiple large investors, including Vanguard Group and AQR Capital Management, have also boosted their positions in AutoNation recently, indicating strong institutional interest with 94.62% of the stock owned by institutional investors.
• Analyst ratings for AutoNation have varied, with recent upgrades setting a consensus price target of $222.63 and a general consensus rating of "Moderate Buy."

Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt increased its position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 62.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 8,950 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 3,450 shares during the period. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt's holdings in AutoNation were worth $1,777,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in AutoNation by 37.4% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its position 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 purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC raised its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 7.2% during the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 1,223 shares of the company's stock worth $208,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ethic Inc. raised its stake in 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 in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE:AN traded up $2.29 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $221.63. 47,661 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 475,272. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.81. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $148.33 and a 52-week high of $228.92. The stock has a market cap of $8.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.88. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $209.90 and a two-hundred day moving average of $191.05.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 25th. The company reported $5.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.70 by $0.76. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 31.12%. The company had revenue of $6.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.77 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.99 EPS. AutoNation's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AN has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $185.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on AutoNation from $209.00 to $221.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on AutoNation from $195.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 14th. Wall Street Zen downgraded AutoNation from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, September 13th. Finally, Guggenheim reduced their price target on AutoNation from $230.00 to $228.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoNation has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $222.63.

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.