FIL Ltd Cuts Stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

FIL Ltd decreased its stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 19.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 87,200 shares of the company's stock after selling 20,500 shares during the period. FIL Ltd owned 0.22% of AutoNation worth $14,810,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of AN. CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,290 shares of the company's stock worth $219,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the period. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the company's stock valued at $590,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the company's stock worth $657,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Davis Capital Management grew its position in AutoNation by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Davis Capital Management now owns 9,703 shares of the company's stock worth $1,648,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global X Japan Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 150.8% in the fourth quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

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AutoNation Trading Down 1.1 %

NYSE AN traded down $1.88 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $162.02. The company had a trading volume of 336,463 shares, compared to its average volume of 458,291. 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, Inc. has a one year low of $148.33 and a one year high of $198.50. The company's fifty day moving average is $173.04 and its 200-day moving average is $172.88. The company has a market cap of $6.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.15.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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, sell-side analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on AN. StockNews.com downgraded AutoNation from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Stephens raised their price objective 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, Evercore ISI raised 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. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target 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.