Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. Raises Stock Holdings in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Key Points

• Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in AutoNation, Inc. by 37.0% during Q1, owning approximately 0.57% of the company, valued at $34.57 million.
• AutoNation reported $5.46 earnings per share for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' estimates by $0.76, alongside a year-over-year revenue growth of 7.6%.
• Analysts have given AutoNation an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with a consensus price target of $223.25.

Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 37.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 213,488 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 57,667 shares during the quarter. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. owned about 0.57% of AutoNation worth $34,568,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of AN. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at $7,836,000. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in AutoNation by 14.7% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 50,433 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,567,000 after acquiring an additional 6,446 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in AutoNation by 25.5% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in AutoNation by 9.0% during the 4th quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 14,737 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,503,000 after acquiring an additional 1,215 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp lifted its stake in AutoNation by 10.8% during 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Price Performance

AN stock traded up $8.4280 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $218.7380. 357,866 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 463,575. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.21. The company has a market capitalization of $8.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.71, a P/E/G 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 $220.00. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $202.27 and a 200-day moving average price of $185.68.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AN has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Cfra Research upgraded AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Bank of America lifted their target price on AutoNation from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 16th. Stephens lifted their target price 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 upgraded AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 10th. Finally, Guggenheim lowered 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. Two 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 company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, AutoNation has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $223.25.

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.