McLean Asset Management Corp Purchases New Holdings in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Key Points

• McLean Asset Management Corp has invested approximately $265,000 in a new stake of 1,250 shares of AutoNation, Inc. during the second quarter.
• Several other institutional investors, including Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC and Cerity Partners LLC, have similarly increased their stakes in AutoNation over the past year, with 94.62% of shares owned by such investors.
• Analysts have mixed views on AutoNation, with target prices ranging from $205.00 to $250.00, and a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" based on recent upgrades and downgrades.

McLean Asset Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 1,250 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $265,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 104.2% in the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,882 shares of the company's stock valued at $952,000 after purchasing an additional 3,001 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC raised its stake in AutoNation by 95.3% during the first quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 5,247 shares of the company's stock worth $850,000 after acquiring an additional 2,561 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth acquired a new position in AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth $503,000. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its stake in AutoNation by 9.7% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 987 shares of the company's stock worth $160,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the first quarter worth $5,162,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AN has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Stephens increased their target price on AutoNation from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Guggenheim decreased their target price on AutoNation from $230.00 to $228.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 11th. Bank of America decreased their target price on AutoNation from $255.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 10th. Wall Street Zen cut AutoNation from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, September 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on AutoNation from $185.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $222.63.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE AN traded up $0.33 during trading on Thursday, reaching $220.83. The company had a trading volume of 154,879 shares, compared to its average volume of 474,238. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $148.33 and a 12 month high of $228.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84. The company's fifty day moving average price is $209.57 and its 200-day moving average price is $189.83. The stock has a market cap of $8.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.84, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.89.

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

AutoNation Company 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.