Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN – Get Rating) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 1,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $112,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. CWM LLC boosted its stake in AutoNation by 65.9% in the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 297 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 118 shares in the last quarter. Tilia Fiduciary Partners Inc. boosted its stake in AutoNation by 60.4% in the first quarter. Tilia Fiduciary Partners Inc. now owns 332 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. DeDora Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the first quarter valued at approximately $34,000. New Century Advisors LLC boosted its stake in AutoNation by 35.9% in the second quarter. New Century Advisors LLC now owns 409 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AlphaCentric Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $60,000. 81.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 60,000 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction on Friday, September 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.23, for a total value of $6,313,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 7,055,230 shares of the company's stock, valued at $742,421,852.90. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 60,000 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction on Friday, September 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.23, for a total value of $6,313,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 7,055,230 shares of the company's stock, valued at $742,421,852.90. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 5,000 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.72, for a total transaction of $623,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 7,723,575 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $963,284,274. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 843,646 shares of company stock valued at $96,496,670 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.64% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Trading Up 1.1 %

AutoNation (NYSE:AN – Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 21st. The company reported $6.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.96 by $0.52. AutoNation had a net margin of 5.59% and a return on equity of 62.96%. The firm had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.97 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.83 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was down 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 24.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on AN shares. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 25th. Argus started coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Tuesday, August 23rd. They set a "buy" rating and a $150.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $250.00 to $238.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 9th. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $205.00 to $213.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of AutoNation to $159.00 in a research note on Friday, July 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $161.56.

About AutoNation

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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.

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