Intech Investment Management LLC Grows Stock Holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Intech Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 47.5% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 6,415 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,066 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $1,090,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in AN. Simcoe Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in AutoNation during the third quarter worth $42,255,000. Holocene Advisors LP purchased a new stake in AutoNation during the third quarter worth $20,046,000. Verition Fund Management LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 739.9% during the third quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 109,040 shares of the company’s stock worth $19,509,000 after buying an additional 96,058 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new stake in AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth $13,239,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth $7,836,000. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AN has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com raised shares of AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Stephens upped their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $204.71.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AN opened at $167.02 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $180.94 and a 200-day simple moving average of $173.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $150.08 and a 52 week high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. On average, equities analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AutoNation Company 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.