AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Sold by Invesco Ltd.

Invesco Ltd. cut its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 6.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 661,456 shares of the company’s stock after selling 42,644 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. owned approximately 1.67% of AutoNation worth $112,342,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Retirement Systems of Alabama grew its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 142.2% during the 3rd quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 73,429 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,138,000 after purchasing an additional 43,113 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in AutoNation by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 327,165 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,566,000 after buying an additional 6,277 shares during the period. Whalen Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth about $255,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter valued at about $13,239,000. Finally, Foster & Motley Inc. increased its holdings in AutoNation by 97.4% in the 4th quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 11,640 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,977,000 after purchasing an additional 5,742 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AN opened at $167.94 on Monday. 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 stock has a 50 day moving average price of $174.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $173.06. The company has a market capitalization of $6.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.15. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $148.33 and a 52-week high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. Research analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on AN shares. StockNews.com lowered AutoNation from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective 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 reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Stephens upped their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their target price on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $201.86.

AutoNation Company 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.