PDT Partners LLC Acquires New Shares in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Key Points

• PDT Partners acquired 15,200 AutoNation shares during the second quarter, valued at approximately $2.824 million. Institutional investors collectively own 94.62% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive: AutoNation has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating from 12 analysts, with an average price target of $250.
• AutoNation exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $5.56 in EPS versus the $5.48 consensus, while revenue totaled $6.93 billion and declined 0.6% year over year.

PDT Partners LLC bought a new stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 15,200 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,824,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in AutoNation by 8.9% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 18,953 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,070,000 after purchasing an additional 1,551 shares during the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the first quarter worth $265,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 10.9% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 98,610 shares of the company's stock worth $15,967,000 after buying an additional 9,656 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 17.3% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,472 shares of the company's stock worth $562,000 after buying an additional 511 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoNation

In other AutoNation news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $198,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 7,989 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,757,580. This trade represents a 10.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AN has been the subject of a number of research reports. Northcoast Research upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $240.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $248.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $287.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Stephens raised their price target on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $250.00.

AutoNation Price Performance

AN stock opened at $196.37 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.49 billion, a PE ratio of 9.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.71. The company's 50-day moving average is $200.86 and its 200-day moving average is $197.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.18. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $176.62 and a 1 year high of $235.81.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $5.48 by $0.08. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.24% and a net margin of 2.82%.The company had revenue of $6.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.26 earnings per share. AutoNation's revenue for the quarter was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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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