AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Position Boosted by Alyeska Investment Group L.P.

Alyeska Investment Group L.P. increased its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 63.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,104,934 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 426,882 shares during the period. AutoNation comprises about 0.7% of Alyeska Investment Group L.P.'s portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. owned 2.79% of AutoNation worth $187,662,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 581.8% in the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 150 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing 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 worth $27,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company's stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 77.1% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 494 shares of the company's stock valued at $84,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Curio Wealth LLC acquired a new position in AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $197,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently commented on AN shares. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 21st. StockNews.com cut AutoNation from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Cfra Research raised AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Guggenheim decreased their price target on AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Citigroup raised shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $200.75.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of AN traded up $4.32 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $179.90. 163,169 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 454,370. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $167.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $173.13. The company has a market cap of $6.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.62, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.00. 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 $148.33 and a 52-week high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.35 by $0.33. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.48% and a net margin of 2.59%. The company had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.49 EPS. AutoNation's revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.