Van ECK Associates Corp Purchases 19,480 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Van ECK Associates Corp raised its position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 189.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 29,775 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 19,480 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp owned about 0.07% of AutoNation worth $5,327,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 2.7% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,605,708 shares of the company's stock worth $255,910,000 after buying an additional 41,712 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the first quarter valued at $170,270,000. LSV Asset Management boosted its stake in AutoNation by 0.6% during the second quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 781,825 shares of the company's stock valued at $124,607,000 after buying an additional 4,350 shares in the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in AutoNation during the second quarter worth about $15,832,000. Finally, Lodge Hill Capital LLC bought a new stake in AutoNation in the second quarter worth about $15,141,000. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at AutoNation

In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.43, for a total value of $7,189,355.42. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,786,144 shares of the company's stock, valued at $694,492,393.92. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.43, for a total transaction of $7,189,355.42. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,786,144 shares in the company, valued at $694,492,393.92. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 500 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.06, for a total value of $91,030.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 3,825,338 shares in the company, valued at $696,441,036.28. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.74% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

AutoNation Stock Down 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE AN traded down $1.55 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $165.45. The company had a trading volume of 332,518 shares, compared to its average volume of 430,898. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.56 billion, a PE ratio of 9.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.21. AutoNation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $129.32 and a twelve month high of $197.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.80. The stock's 50 day moving average is $167.41 and its 200-day moving average is $168.07.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AN has been the topic of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on AutoNation from $187.00 to $181.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Morgan Stanley upgraded AutoNation from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their price target for the company from $145.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Stephens started coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $210.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 14th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $199.00.

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.