Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Sells 2,509 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund decreased its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 13.1% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 16,635 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,509 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $2,825,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in AN. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 581.8% during the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 150 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. grew its position in AutoNation by 150.8% during the 4th quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in AutoNation by 403.6% during the 3rd quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 282 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares in the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC raised its holdings in AutoNation by 16.4% in the third quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 964 shares of the company’s stock worth $172,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors bought a new position in shares of AutoNation in the third quarter worth approximately $201,000. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on AN shares. Stephens increased their target price on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their price target on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $204.71.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of AutoNation stock opened at $180.65 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $7.06 billion, a PE ratio of 10.66, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.25. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $182.08 and a 200 day moving average of $174.38. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $143.83 and a 12 month high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted 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 return on equity of 30.48% and a net margin of 2.59%. On average, research analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.