AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Acquired by Brave Warrior Advisors LLC

Brave Warrior Advisors LLC increased its position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 50.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,461,213 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 488,904 shares during the period. AutoNation makes up 6.2% of Brave Warrior Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC owned approximately 3.69% of AutoNation worth $248,172,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of AN. Barclays PLC boosted its position in AutoNation by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 43,987 shares of the company's stock worth $7,870,000 after acquiring an additional 2,263 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the third quarter worth about $242,000. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in AutoNation by 48.3% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 20,148 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,370,000 after buying an additional 6,558 shares in the last quarter. First Hawaiian Bank increased its stake in AutoNation by 12.4% during the 4th quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 2,030 shares of the company's stock valued at $345,000 after buying an additional 224 shares during the period. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 581.8% during the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 150 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AN has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Guggenheim decreased their target price on AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Stephens boosted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Cfra Research upgraded shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $200.75.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.1 %

NYSE AN traded up $0.14 on Friday, hitting $179.77. 268,453 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 454,885. 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, Inc. has a twelve month low of $148.33 and a twelve month high of $198.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.00. The company's 50 day moving average price is $167.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $173.36.

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

AutoNation 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.