AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Sold by QRG Capital Management Inc.

QRG Capital Management Inc. lowered its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 5.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,004 shares of the company’s stock after selling 301 shares during the quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $850,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of AN. State Street Corp grew its holdings in AutoNation by 2.3% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 854,034 shares of the company’s stock valued at $152,804,000 after purchasing an additional 19,037 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 433,730 shares of the company’s stock valued at $77,623,000 after purchasing an additional 18,588 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake 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 valued at $57,413,000 after buying an additional 19,015 shares during the period. Simcoe Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 3rd quarter worth $42,255,000. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter worth $20,046,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. StockNews.com raised AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Stephens raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $204.71.

AutoNation Stock Down 4.0 %

Shares of NYSE:AN opened at $175.05 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a 50 day moving average of $182.32 and a two-hundred day moving average of $174.54. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $143.88 and a 52-week 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.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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, analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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.