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

Key Points

• Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt increased its AutoNation stake by 162% in the fourth quarter, ending with 23,450 shares valued at about $4.84 million. Several other institutional investors also added to their positions, and hedge funds and other institutions own 94.62% of the stock.
• AutoNation’s latest quarterly results missed expectations, with EPS of $4.69 versus the $4.71 estimate and revenue of $6.55 billion versus the $6.65 billion forecast. Revenue fell 2.1% year over year, and the stock was down 1.0% at the time of the report.
• Analyst sentiment remains constructive, with nine Buy ratings and two Hold ratings, leading to a consensus “Moderate Buy” and a price target of $246.90. However, the company also saw insider selling, as CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares in May.

Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 162.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 23,450 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 14,500 shares during the period. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt owned 0.06% of AutoNation worth $4,841,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vise Technologies Inc. raised its holdings in AutoNation by 41.2% in the fourth quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 1,388 shares of the company's stock worth $287,000 after buying an additional 405 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in AutoNation by 71.8% in the fourth quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,903 shares of the company's stock worth $393,000 after buying an additional 795 shares during the last quarter. AXQ Capital LP purchased a new position in AutoNation in the fourth quarter worth about $273,000. Factorial Partners LLC raised its holdings in AutoNation by 5.6% in the fourth quarter. Factorial Partners LLC now owns 5,650 shares of the company's stock worth $1,167,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp raised its holdings in AutoNation by 7.5% in the fourth quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp now owns 2,756 shares of the company's stock worth $569,000 after buying an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Stock Down 1.0%

AN opened at $188.32 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $196.51 and a 200-day moving average price of $202.19. AutoNation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $176.62 and a twelve month high of $228.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.20, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.74.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.71 by ($0.02). AutoNation had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The company had revenue of $6.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.65 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.68 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on AN shares. Bank of America started coverage on shares of AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Weiss Ratings raised shares of AutoNation from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $240.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $269.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, AutoNation has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $246.90.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoNation

In other news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total transaction of $512,275.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,456 shares of the company's stock, valued at $298,348.96. The trade was a 63.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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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