Gotham Asset Management LLC Acquires 11,315 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Key Points

• Gotham Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. by 13.6% during Q1, owning 94,653 shares valued at approximately $15.3 million.
• AutoNation's recent quarterly earnings report showed earnings per share of $5.46, surpassing estimates, and the company reported revenue growth of 7.6% year-over-year.
• Analysts have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for AutoNation, with a target price of $223.25 reflecting positive market sentiment.

Gotham Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 13.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 94,653 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 11,315 shares during the quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC owned about 0.25% of AutoNation worth $15,326,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 104.2% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,882 shares of the company's stock worth $952,000 after purchasing an additional 3,001 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 95.3% in the 1st quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 5,247 shares of the company's stock worth $850,000 after acquiring an additional 2,561 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at about $503,000. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in AutoNation by 9.7% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 987 shares of the company's stock valued at $160,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the first quarter valued at about $5,162,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $185.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Guggenheim decreased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $230.00 to $228.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 14th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $209.00 to $221.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $222.63.

AutoNation Trading Up 1.4%

AN stock traded up $3.19 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $226.44. 202,765 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 474,835. The stock's fifty day moving average is $208.55 and its 200-day moving average is $188.46. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $148.33 and a 52-week high of $228.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84. The company has a market cap of $8.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.89.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 25th. The company reported $5.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.70 by $0.76. The company had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.77 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 31.12%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.99 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current 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.