AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Sold by Pecaut & CO.

Pecaut & CO. lowered its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 4.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,520 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,425 shares during the period. AutoNation makes up approximately 1.6% of Pecaut & CO.’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Pecaut & CO. owned approximately 0.07% of AutoNation worth $4,674,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its stake in AutoNation by 581.8% during the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 150 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the period. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 150.8% in the 4th quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 77.1% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 494 shares of the company’s stock valued at $84,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares during the period. McIlrath & Eck LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 16.4% in the 3rd quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 964 shares of the company’s stock valued at $172,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares during the period. Finally, Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at $201,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on AN. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. StockNews.com raised shares of AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Stephens raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price 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. Three equities 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 has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $204.71.

AutoNation Price Performance

AN opened at $165.86 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $181.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $173.60. The firm has a market cap of $6.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.79, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32. AutoNation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $150.08 and a twelve 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.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. Equities 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.