AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Sold by Stephens Inc. AR

Stephens Inc. AR trimmed its holdings in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 63.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 12,531 shares of the company’s stock after selling 22,166 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $2,128,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AN. Retirement Systems of Alabama lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 142.2% in the third quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 73,429 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,138,000 after buying an additional 43,113 shares during the period. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in AutoNation in the third quarter worth about $585,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in AutoNation by 33.8% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,899 shares of the company’s stock valued at $340,000 after acquiring an additional 480 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 6.3% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 320,888 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,413,000 after purchasing an additional 19,015 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Whalen Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the 4th quarter worth approximately $255,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AN opened at $195.16 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $178.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $173.24. The company has a market cap of $7.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.71 and a beta of 1.25. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12-month low of $136.35 and a 12-month high of $198.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a return on equity of 32.01% and a net margin of 2.74%. Equities analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 16.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $169.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Guggenheim cut their price objective on AutoNation from $190.00 to $189.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Stephens upped their target price on AutoNation from $192.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoNation has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $195.57.

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.