Van ECK Associates Corp Raises Stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 5.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 31,483 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,708 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp owned approximately 0.08% of AutoNation worth $5,347,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its holdings in AutoNation by 581.8% during the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 150 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 150.8% in the 4th quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 403.6% in the 3rd quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 282 shares of the company's stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 226 shares in the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 16.4% in the 3rd quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 964 shares of the company's stock valued at $172,000 after buying an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors acquired a new position in AutoNation in the 3rd quarter worth $201,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AN stock traded down $7.97 on Friday, hitting $181.19. 502,707 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 459,680. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.08 billion, a PE ratio of 10.70, a P/E/G ratio of 3.67 and a beta of 1.25. AutoNation, Inc. has a one year low of $136.79 and a one year high of $198.50. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The firm's 50 day moving average is $180.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $173.89.

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%. Sell-side analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AN has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Stephens lifted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $204.71.

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.