Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC Invests $327,000 in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Key Points

• Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC invested approximately $327,000 in AutoNation, acquiring 1,648 shares during the second quarter.
• Several analysts have upgraded their target prices for AutoNation, with Morgan Stanley raising it to $220.00 and maintaining an "overweight" rating.
• AutoNation reported earnings of $5.46 EPS for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations and showing a 7.6% year-over-year revenue increase.

Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC acquired a new position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 1,648 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $327,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Curat Global LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 45.3% during the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 375 shares of the company's stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 117 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 81.1% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 460 shares of the company's stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 206 shares during the period. Finally, SVB Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 1st quarter valued at about $86,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on AutoNation from $195.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on AutoNation from $185.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Stephens raised their target price 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 dropped their price objective on AutoNation from $255.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 10th. Finally, Guggenheim dropped their price objective on AutoNation from $230.00 to $228.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $222.63.

AutoNation Stock Up 0.1%

AN opened at $220.67 on Thursday. The stock's fifty day moving average is $210.52 and its 200-day moving average is $191.46. The company has a market capitalization of $8.32 billion, a PE ratio of 13.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.81. AutoNation, Inc. has a one year low of $148.33 and a one year high of $228.92.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last announced its 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.77 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.99 earnings per share. AutoNation's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS 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.

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