AutoNation, Inc. $AN Shares Sold by Brave Warrior Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Brave Warrior Advisors LLC has reduced its stake in AutoNation, Inc. by 22.7%, now owning 1,130,055 shares, which is 4.2% of their portfolio.
• Various large investors, including Maverick Capital Ltd. and Vident Advisory LLC, have recently adjusted their holdings in AutoNation, reflecting a significant shift in institutional investment.
• Analysts have set mixed price targets for AutoNation, with a consensus target price of $223.25 and varying ratings from "Strong Buy" to "Hold."

Brave Warrior Advisors LLC cut its holdings in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 22.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,130,055 shares of the company's stock after selling 331,158 shares during the quarter. AutoNation makes up approximately 4.2% of Brave Warrior Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC owned about 3.00% of AutoNation worth $182,979,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of AN. Maverick Capital Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $6,264,000. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $621,000. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 8.9% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 18,953 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,070,000 after acquiring an additional 1,551 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $235,000. Finally, Vident Advisory LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 93.2% in the 1st quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 3,578 shares of the company's stock valued at $579,000 after acquiring an additional 1,726 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Stock Performance

NYSE:AN traded up $0.88 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $226.54. 437,408 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 331,494. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.21. AutoNation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $148.33 and a twelve month high of $228.92. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $207.32 and a 200 day moving average price of $187.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.89.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Stephens boosted their price target on AutoNation from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Bank of America boosted their price target on AutoNation from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 16th. 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on AutoNation from $185.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 10th. Two 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 company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $223.25.

AutoNation Company 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.