Rhumbline Advisers Boosts Position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 8.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 80,738 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,169 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers’ holdings in AutoNation were worth $13,073,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its position in AutoNation by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,290 shares of the company’s stock valued at $219,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC grew its position in AutoNation by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the company’s stock valued at $590,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its position in AutoNation by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 11,171 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,897,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC grew its position in AutoNation by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the company’s stock valued at $657,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Price Performance

AN stock opened at $187.15 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $175.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $176.66. The stock has a market cap of $7.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.05, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 0.99. AutoNation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $148.33 and a fifty-two week high of $198.50. 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 (NYSE:AN) last posted its earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.35 by $0.33. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.48% and a net margin of 2.59%. The firm had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.53 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $4.49 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen raised AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 10th. Stephens boosted their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Guggenheim lowered their price objective on AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Citigroup raised AutoNation to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $200.75.

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.