AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Sold by Vestcor Inc

Vestcor Inc cut its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 30.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,782 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,231 shares during the period. Vestcor Inc’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $450,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in AN. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% in the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 0.9% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 7,580 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,227,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 11,171 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,897,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 1.6% in the first quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 4,918 shares of the company’s stock valued at $796,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the period. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 7.2% in the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 1,223 shares of the company’s stock valued at $208,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Trading Down 1.1%

NYSE AN opened at $190.58 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $148.33 and a 52 week high of $217.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.19 billion, a PE ratio of 11.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 0.89. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $197.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $183.86.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 25th. The company reported $5.46 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.70 by $0.76. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 31.12%. The company had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.77 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.99 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 10th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $209.00 to $221.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 16th. Stephens raised their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Finally, Guggenheim lowered their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $211.38.

About AutoNation

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.