KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Makes New $883,000 Investment in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 5,200 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $883,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of AN. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its position in 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 boosted its position in AutoNation by 0.9% in the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 21,994 shares of the company's stock worth $3,935,000 after purchasing an additional 194 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 3.7% during the 3rd 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 increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 15.9% during the 3rd quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 2,783 shares of the company's stock valued at $498,000 after purchasing an additional 381 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 13,522 shares of the company's stock worth $2,419,000 after purchasing an additional 567 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of AN stock traded down $0.74 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $158.63. The stock had a trading volume of 688,564 shares, compared to its average volume of 452,014. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.36, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.15. AutoNation, Inc. has a one year low of $150.08 and a one year high of $198.50. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $177.57 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $173.63.

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AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last released 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 return on equity of 30.48% and a net margin of 2.59%. Equities analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on AN. StockNews.com upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective 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. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average 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.