AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Acquired by Gotham Asset Management LLC

Gotham Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 31.3% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 83,338 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 19,890 shares during the quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $14,154,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 50.3% during the 4th quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC now owns 1,461,213 shares of the company’s stock valued at $248,172,000 after acquiring an additional 488,904 shares in the last quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. grew its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 422.7% during the fourth quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 575,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $97,658,000 after purchasing an additional 465,000 shares during the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 63.0% during the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 1,104,934 shares of the company’s stock worth $187,662,000 after purchasing an additional 426,882 shares during the period. Cartenna Capital LP acquired a new position in AutoNation during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $56,831,000. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in AutoNation during the 4th quarter worth $38,136,000. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AutoNation stock opened at $179.77 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $6.78 billion, a PE ratio of 10.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.00. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $148.33 and a 12 month high of $198.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $167.93 and a 200-day simple moving average of $173.44.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.35 by $0.33. The company had revenue of $6.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.53 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.48% and a net margin of 2.59%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.49 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on AN. Cfra Research raised shares of AutoNation to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Citigroup raised AutoNation to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Guggenheim cut their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Evercore ISI increased their target price 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, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $200.75.

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.