Intech Investment Management LLC Buys 2,066 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 47.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,415 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 2,066 shares during the quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $1,090,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds 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 valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in AutoNation by 150.8% during 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. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in AutoNation by 77.1% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 494 shares of the company’s stock valued at $84,000 after buying an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC lifted its holdings in AutoNation by 16.4% during 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, Curio Wealth LLC bought a new stake in AutoNation during the 4th quarter valued at about $197,000. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on AN. Evercore ISI boosted 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. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. 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, AutoNation has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $204.71.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.8 %

NYSE AN opened at $167.02 on Friday. 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 firm has a market cap of $6.56 billion, a PE ratio of 9.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $180.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $173.53. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $150.08 and a 52 week high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.