AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Bought by Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD

Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 10.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 15,517 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,473 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD's holdings in AutoNation were worth $2,636,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its position in 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 during the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 150.8% in the fourth 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 during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% during the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company's stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 77.1% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 494 shares of the company's stock worth $84,000 after buying an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Curio Wealth LLC acquired a new position in AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at about $197,000. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Price Performance

AutoNation stock traded up $0.14 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $179.77. The stock had a trading volume of 268,453 shares, compared to its average volume of 455,829. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $148.33 and a 1-year high of $198.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.61, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.00. The stock's fifty day moving average is $167.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $173.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.21.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last posted its 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 net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. The firm had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.53 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.49 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. StockNews.com upgraded AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday. Cfra Research raised AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Stephens lifted their price target on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoNation presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $200.75.

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.