Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. Purchases New Holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 3,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $633,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Retirement Systems of Alabama boosted its stake in AutoNation by 142.2% in the 3rd quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 73,429 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,138,000 after purchasing an additional 43,113 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in AutoNation by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 327,165 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,566,000 after purchasing an additional 6,277 shares in the last quarter. Whalen Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $255,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at $13,239,000. Finally, Foster & Motley Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 97.4% during the 4th quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 11,640 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,977,000 after buying an additional 5,742 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AutoNation stock opened at $158.63 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.15. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $150.08 and a 12 month high of $198.50. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $177.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $173.65.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its quarterly 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%. As a group, analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AN has been the topic of several recent research reports. Evercore ISI lifted their target price 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. StockNews.com raised AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Stephens raised their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $201.86.

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.