Teacher Retirement System of Texas Increases Stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 74.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,705 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,156 shares during the quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas' holdings in AutoNation were worth $1,648,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Retirement Systems of Alabama raised its stake in AutoNation by 142.2% during 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 last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new position in AutoNation in the 3rd quarter worth about $585,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in 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 during the last quarter. Whalen Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in AutoNation during the 4th quarter valued at about $255,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new stake in AutoNation during the 4th quarter valued at about $13,239,000. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Stock Performance

NYSE:AN traded up $2.84 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $161.92. 531,098 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 448,659. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $179.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $173.83. The firm has a market cap of $6.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32. 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 one year low of $150.08 and a one year high of $198.50.

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AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued 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 net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. Research analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating on shares of AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $201.86.

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.