AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Sold by Candlestick Capital Management LP

Candlestick Capital Management LP lowered its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 35.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 129,599 shares of the company's stock after selling 70,128 shares during the quarter. Candlestick Capital Management LP owned about 0.33% of AutoNation worth $22,011,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in AutoNation by 25.5% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company's stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,290 shares of the company's stock worth $219,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC grew its position in AutoNation by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the company's stock valued at $590,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its position in AutoNation by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 11,171 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,897,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the company's stock valued at $657,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:AN traded up $0.82 during trading on Thursday, reaching $174.97. The stock had a trading volume of 383,421 shares, compared to its average volume of 455,202. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $168.17 and a 200-day moving average price of $172.92. 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 market cap of $6.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.33, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.15. AutoNation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $148.33 and a fifty-two week high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last released its 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 firm 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 earned $4.49 earnings per share. AutoNation's revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on AN. StockNews.com upgraded AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Guggenheim lowered their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Citigroup upgraded shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Stephens increased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock 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 issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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.