Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC Has $23 Million Stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 3.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 135,423 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,331 shares during the period. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC owned 0.34% of AutoNation worth $23,000,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cerity Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 9.7% in the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 3,346 shares of the company’s stock valued at $599,000 after acquiring an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 0.9% in the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 21,994 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,935,000 after purchasing an additional 194 shares during the period. FMR LLC raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 3.7% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 25,862 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,627,000 after purchasing an additional 929 shares during the period. CreativeOne Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 15.9% in the third quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 2,783 shares of the company’s stock worth $498,000 after buying an additional 381 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 13,522 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,419,000 after buying an additional 567 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Stock Performance

AN opened at $158.94 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $179.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $173.82. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The stock has a market cap of $6.24 billion, a PE ratio of 9.38, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $150.08 and a 1 year high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. Sell-side analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on AN shares. Stephens boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. StockNews.com upgraded AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock 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 given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, AutoNation has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $201.86.

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.