Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC Takes $922,000 Position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 5,428 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $922,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of AN. CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its position 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 acquiring an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the company's stock valued at $590,000 after buying an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its stake in AutoNation by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 11,171 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,897,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the company's stock valued at $657,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Davis Capital Management boosted its position in AutoNation by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Davis Capital Management now owns 9,703 shares of the company's stock worth $1,648,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on AN shares. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Stephens lifted 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, AutoNation has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $201.86.

AutoNation Price Performance

AN traded up $3.94 on Friday, reaching $166.03. The stock had a trading volume of 438,246 shares, compared to its average volume of 457,073. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $171.94 and a 200-day moving average of $172.72. 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 fifty-two week low of $148.33 and a fifty-two week high of $198.50. The company has a market capitalization of $6.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.15.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current year.

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.