AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Sold by Dana Investment Advisors Inc.

Dana Investment Advisors Inc. reduced its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 2.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 27,297 shares of the company’s stock after selling 721 shares during the quarter. Dana Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $4,351,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of AN. Truist Financial Corp increased its holdings in AutoNation by 23.3% in the second quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 4,449 shares of the company’s stock valued at $709,000 after buying an additional 840 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 498.5% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 407 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares in the last quarter. Creative Planning raised its holdings in AutoNation by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 8,405 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,340,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares during the period. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC acquired a new position in AutoNation in the 2nd quarter worth about $590,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in AutoNation by 258.6% in the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 28,888 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,604,000 after purchasing an additional 20,832 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AN opened at $178.10 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $173.11 and a 200-day simple moving average of $167.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 1.20. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $123.81 and a 52 week high of $197.18.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $3.99 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.31 by ($0.32). The business had revenue of $6.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.72 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.93% and a return on equity of 36.50%. The firm’s revenue was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $6.29 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 17.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on AN. Stephens assumed coverage on AutoNation in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 target price for the company. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $164.00 to $187.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of AutoNation from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $201.75.

Insider Activity at AutoNation

In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 23,703 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.29, for a total transaction of $4,083,789.87. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,980,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $685,794,659.43. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 23,703 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.29, for a total transaction of $4,083,789.87. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,980,467 shares in the company, valued at $685,794,659.43. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.21, for a total transaction of $17,621,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 3,880,467 shares in the company, valued at $683,777,090.07. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 216,959 shares of company stock valued at $39,346,744. 0.74% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.