Greatmark Investment Partners Inc. Raises Stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Greatmark Investment Partners Inc. boosted its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 5.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 154,144 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 7,742 shares during the quarter. AutoNation accounts for about 3.4% of Greatmark Investment Partners Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest position. Greatmark Investment Partners Inc. owned 0.39% of AutoNation worth $24,959,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Atria Investments Inc raised its holdings in AutoNation by 7.2% during the 4th quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 3,040 shares of the company's stock valued at $516,000 after buying an additional 205 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter valued at about $7,009,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth about $7,836,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 9.3% in the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 6,427 shares of the company's stock worth $1,092,000 after purchasing an additional 548 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the company's stock worth $657,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Stock Down 0.9%

AN traded down $2.01 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $212.82. The company's stock had a trading volume of 368,922 shares, compared to its average volume of 459,791. The stock's 50-day moving average is $192.38 and its 200-day moving average is $181.06. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $148.33 and a 1 year high of $217.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.59, a PEG ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.72.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.35 by $0.33. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.08% and a net margin of 2.51%. The company had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.49 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on AN. Cfra Research upgraded AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Guggenheim cut their price target on shares of AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 10th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $187.00 to $209.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 16th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $209.88.

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.