Victory Capital Management Inc. Lowers Stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Victory Capital Management Inc. lessened its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 48.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,817 shares of the company's stock after selling 5,506 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in AutoNation were worth $988,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AN. Retirement Systems of Alabama increased its stake in AutoNation by 142.2% during the third 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 during the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 3rd quarter worth $585,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 6.3% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 320,888 shares of the company's stock worth $57,413,000 after purchasing an additional 19,015 shares during the last quarter. Whalen Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at about $255,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new position in AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at about $13,239,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Stock Up 5.3 %

Shares of AutoNation stock traded up $8.77 on Monday, reaching $175.58. 530,455 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 437,188. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $180.94 and its 200-day moving average price is $173.57. The company has a market cap of $6.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $150.08 and a 1-year high of $198.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.21.

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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 (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, equities analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on AN. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Stephens upped their price target on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $204.71.

AutoNation Company 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.