AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Sold by Securian Asset Management Inc.

Securian Asset Management Inc. reduced its stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 4.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,959 shares of the company’s stock after selling 100 shares during the period. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $333,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 77.1% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 494 shares of the company’s stock valued at $84,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in AutoNation by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the company’s stock valued at $657,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Moran Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in AutoNation by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Moran Wealth Management LLC now owns 48,827 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,293,000 after buying an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its holdings in AutoNation by 9.3% in the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 6,427 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,092,000 after buying an additional 548 shares during the last quarter. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at $2,099,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Stock Performance

NYSE AN opened at $163.18 on Wednesday. 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, Inc. has a 52-week low of $150.08 and a 52-week high of $198.50. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $181.29 and its 200 day moving average price is $173.70. The firm has a market cap of $6.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.63, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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, equities research analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently commented on AN. Evercore ISI increased their target price on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. StockNews.com raised AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Stephens raised their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $204.71.

AutoNation 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.