Intech Investment Management LLC Grows Stock Holdings in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 180.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,206 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,491 shares during the quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $2,727,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in AN. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 355.3% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at $41,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the third quarter valued at $48,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 126.1% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 251 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Trading Up 1.1%

AN stock opened at $191.07 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.39 billion, a PE ratio of 10.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.74. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $176.62 and a 12 month high of $228.92. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $196.31 and its 200 day moving average is $202.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.20.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.71 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $6.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.65 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 2.47%.The company’s quarterly revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.68 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.19 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AN has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $240.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Stephens increased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $228.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, AutoNation has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $246.90.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AutoNation news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total transaction of $512,275.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 1,456 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $298,348.96. This trade represents a 63.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Company Profile

AutoNation, Inc is the largest automotive retailer in the United States, operating a network of franchised new vehicle dealerships, pre-owned vehicle superstores and collision-repair centers. The company offers a comprehensive range of automotive products and services, including the sale of new cars and light trucks from leading manufacturers, certified pre-owned vehicles and a wide selection of used models. In addition to retail vehicle sales, AutoNation provides financing, insurance and extended service contracts through its in-house financial services division, as well as genuine and aftermarket parts, factory-recommended maintenance and collision-repair services.

Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, AutoNation was founded in 1996 by entrepreneur H.