OFI Invest Asset Management Buys New Position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 12,800 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,099,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Retirement Systems of Alabama grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 142.2% in the 3rd quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 73,429 shares of the company's stock worth $13,138,000 after acquiring an additional 43,113 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter worth $585,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 6.3% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 320,888 shares of the company's stock worth $57,413,000 after acquiring an additional 19,015 shares in the last quarter. Whalen Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in AutoNation during the fourth quarter valued at about $255,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new position in AutoNation during the fourth quarter valued at about $13,239,000. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on AN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Evercore ISI increased 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. Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Stephens increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $204.71.

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AutoNation Stock Performance

NYSE AN traded down $8.68 during trading on Thursday, hitting $156.69. 718,232 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 440,564. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.25, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12-month low of $149.51 and a 12-month 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 business has a 50 day moving average of $182.05 and a 200-day moving average of $174.25.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About AutoNation

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.