6,628 Shares in AutoNation, Inc. $AN Purchased by Fox Run Management L.L.C.

Key Points

• Fox Run Management L.L.C. recently invested approximately $1.07 million in AutoNation by acquiring 6,628 shares during the first quarter.
• Several other institutional investors have also increased their positions in AutoNation, with ownership now at 94.62% of the company's stock.
• Analysts have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for AutoNation, with the average price target set at $223.25.

Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 6,628 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,073,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 7.2% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,256,308 shares of the company's stock worth $527,261,000 after purchasing an additional 219,474 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 8.3% in the 1st quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,964,187 shares of the company's stock worth $318,749,000 after buying an additional 149,959 shares during the last quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC increased its stake in AutoNation by 50.3% during the 4th quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC now owns 1,461,213 shares of the company's stock worth $248,172,000 after buying an additional 488,904 shares in the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 63.0% during the fourth quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 1,104,934 shares of the company's stock valued at $187,662,000 after acquiring an additional 426,882 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 2.3% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 676,568 shares of the company's stock valued at $109,550,000 after acquiring an additional 15,112 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AN traded down $1.31 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $209.68. 313,120 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 499,320. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $201.32 and its 200-day simple moving average is $185.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.91 billion, a PE ratio of 13.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.89. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $148.33 and a 52-week high of $217.40. 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 (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 25th. The company reported $5.46 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.70 by $0.76. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 31.12%. The firm had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.77 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.99 EPS. AutoNation's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on AN shares. Cfra Research raised AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Guggenheim lowered their target price on shares of AutoNation from $230.00 to $228.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Stephens upped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Citigroup raised shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of 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 assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price 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.