Raymond James Financial Inc. Invests $7.84 Million in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 46,136 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,836,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. owned 0.12% of AutoNation at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 854,034 shares of the company's stock worth $152,804,000 after buying an additional 19,037 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in AutoNation by 4.5% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 433,730 shares of the company's stock worth $77,623,000 after acquiring an additional 18,588 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 327,165 shares of the company's stock valued at $55,566,000 after acquiring an additional 6,277 shares during the period. Simcoe Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at $42,255,000. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter worth about $20,046,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Stock Up 1.0 %

AN traded up $1.82 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $177.03. 423,510 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 436,171. The stock has a market cap of $6.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32. 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 stock's 50 day moving average price is $180.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $173.74. AutoNation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $150.08 and a twelve month high of $198.50.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com raised AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Stephens lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Evercore ISI upped 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 reissued a "buy" rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $204.71.

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.