Intech Investment Management LLC Acquires 2,066 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Intech Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 47.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,415 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,066 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC's holdings in AutoNation were worth $1,090,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Curio Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter valued at about $197,000. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 17,058 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,897,000 after acquiring an additional 861 shares during the period. Greatmark Investment Partners Inc. grew its position in AutoNation by 25.5% during the 4th quarter. Greatmark Investment Partners Inc. now owns 146,402 shares of the company's stock worth $24,865,000 after acquiring an additional 29,715 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in AutoNation by 77.1% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 494 shares of the company's stock worth $84,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in AutoNation by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the company's stock worth $657,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on AN shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Stephens boosted their target price on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. StockNews.com upgraded AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $204.71.

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AutoNation Stock Down 3.5 %

Shares of AutoNation stock traded down $6.26 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $170.76. The company's stock had a trading volume of 441,246 shares, compared to its average volume of 436,092. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $150.08 and a 52 week high of $198.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.74. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $180.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $173.74. The company has a market capitalization of $6.70 billion, a PE ratio of 10.08, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 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%. Equities research analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

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.