Vision Financial Markets LLC Buys Shares of 14,850 AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 14,850 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,522,000. AutoNation accounts for about 2.7% of Vision Financial Markets LLC's holdings, making the stock its 11th largest holding.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of AN. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in AutoNation by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,845 shares of the company's stock worth $509,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 3,008 shares of the company's stock worth $538,000 after acquiring an additional 205 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 189.2% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 29,775 shares of the company's stock worth $5,327,000 after acquiring an additional 19,480 shares during the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in AutoNation by 5.1% in the third quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,305 shares of the company's stock valued at $949,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the period. Finally, Foster & Motley Inc. grew its holdings in AutoNation by 80.8% in the third quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 5,898 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,055,000 after purchasing an additional 2,636 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. 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 report on Wednesday, February 12th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, 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. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $204.71.

AutoNation Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of AN traded down $0.69 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $171.14. 544,263 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 435,345. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $147.31 and a 1-year high of $198.50. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $182.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $174.49. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The company has a market cap of $6.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.10, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.48% and a net margin of 2.59%. Research analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share 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.