AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Stock: Insider Jacqueline Travisano Buys 530 Shares

Key Points

• Director Jacqueline Travisano bought 530 AutoNation shares at an average of $185.29, spending about $98,204 and increasing her direct ownership by 5.96% to 9,419 shares.
• AutoNation’s latest quarterly results topped estimates: earnings were $5.11 per share versus $5.08 expected, and revenue was $7.01 billion versus $6.93 billion expected; revenue slipped 0.4% year over year.
• Analysts’ consensus rating is Hold, with an average price target of $228.20. Seven analysts rate the stock Buy, five Hold, and one Sell.

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) Director Jacqueline Travisano acquired 530 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 5th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $185.29 per share, for a total transaction of $98,203.70. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 9,419 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,745,246.51. This trade represents a 5.96% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AutoNation stock traded up $2.31 during trading on Monday, hitting $186.31. 439,749 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 463,137. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a current ratio of 0.77. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $175.51 and a 200-day simple moving average of $192.98. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $151.82 and a 52-week high of $235.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.95, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.82.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $5.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $5.08 by $0.03. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.63% and a return on equity of 31.18%. The company had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.93 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $5.01 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 20.96 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AN has been the subject of several analyst reports. Barclays decreased their price objective on AutoNation from $230.00 to $220.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on AutoNation from $175.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $255.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded AutoNation from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $228.20.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 153.3% during the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 646 shares of the company's stock valued at $101,000 after acquiring an additional 391 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 59.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,305 shares of the company's stock valued at $363,000 after purchasing an additional 855 shares in the last quarter. IFG Advisory LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,514,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in AutoNation by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 21,819 shares of the company's stock worth $3,435,000 after purchasing an additional 779 shares during the period. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management raised its holdings in AutoNation by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 10,721 shares of the company's stock worth $1,688,000 after purchasing an additional 474 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Company Profile

AutoNation, Inc is a U.S. automotive retailer that sells new and used vehicles through a network of dealerships. Its stores offer vehicles from a range of manufacturers, along with related products and services.

The company also provides vehicle maintenance and repair, parts, and collision-repair services. Its offerings include financing and insurance products, as well as online tools that support vehicle research and purchasing.

Founded in 1996, AutoNation operates dealerships across the United States, with a presence concentrated in the Sun Belt.

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