OFI Invest Asset Management Makes New $2.10 Million Investment in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 12,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,099,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of AN. Simcoe Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter valued at about $42,255,000. Holocene Advisors LP purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter valued at about $20,046,000. Verition Fund Management LLC grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 739.9% during the third quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 109,040 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,509,000 after purchasing an additional 96,058 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter valued at about $13,239,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter valued at about $7,836,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Trading Down 0.4 %

AN stock opened at $171.14 on Monday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $182.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $174.48. 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, Inc. has a 52-week low of $147.31 and a 52-week high of $198.50. The firm has a market cap of $6.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.10, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share 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 fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on AN. StockNews.com upgraded AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company increased 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 reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased 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, Evercore ISI increased 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. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $204.71.

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.