Bayforest Capital Ltd Invests $242,000 in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Key Points

• Bayforest Capital Ltd has invested $242,000 in AutoNation, acquiring 1,494 shares as indicated in their recent 13F filing.
• Several institutional investors have also increased their stakes in AutoNation, with 94.62% of the company's stock now owned by institutional investors.
• Wall Street analysts have raised their price targets for AutoNation, with a consensus target of $222.63 and ratings including two Strong Buy and four Buy recommendations.

Bayforest Capital Ltd bought a new position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 1,494 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $242,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AN. Stifel Financial Corp increased its position in AutoNation by 10.8% in the 4th quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 1,407 shares of the company's stock valued at $239,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its position in AutoNation by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 82,982 shares of the company's stock valued at $14,094,000 after acquiring an additional 2,372 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth acquired a new position in AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at about $503,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its position in AutoNation by 122.7% in the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 14,133 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,400,000 after acquiring an additional 7,788 shares during the period. Finally, Millennium Management LLC increased its position in AutoNation by 2,229.1% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 75,254 shares of the company's stock valued at $12,781,000 after acquiring an additional 72,023 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America dropped their price target on AutoNation from $255.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 10th. Stephens boosted their price target on AutoNation from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered AutoNation from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. Guggenheim reduced their target price on AutoNation from $230.00 to $228.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on AutoNation from $209.00 to $221.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $222.63.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of AN stock traded up $1.85 on Wednesday, reaching $221.75. 44,655 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 474,267. The stock has a market cap of $8.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $209.41 and a two-hundred day moving average of $189.62. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1-year low of $148.33 and a 1-year high of $228.92.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 25th. The company reported $5.46 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.70 by $0.76. The business had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.77 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.12% and a net margin of 2.31%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.99 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS 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.