GSA Capital Partners LLP Grows Stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Key Points

• GSA Capital Partners LLP increased its stake in AutoNation, Inc. by 30.9%, owning 12,661 shares valued at approximately $2.05 million following a purchase of 2,992 additional shares.
• AutoNation's quarterly earnings surpassed expectations, reporting an EPS of $5.46 against an estimate of $4.70, with revenues reaching $6.97 billion, a 7.6% year-over-year increase.
• Several institutional investors have significantly increased their holdings in AutoNation, with 94.62% of the stock now owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

GSA Capital Partners LLP boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 30.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 12,661 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,992 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP's holdings in AutoNation were worth $2,050,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% in the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company's stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 104.2% in the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,882 shares of the company's stock worth $952,000 after purchasing an additional 3,001 shares during the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC grew its position in AutoNation by 95.3% in the first quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 5,247 shares of the company's stock worth $850,000 after acquiring an additional 2,561 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth purchased a new position in AutoNation in the fourth quarter worth about $503,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. grew its position in AutoNation by 9.7% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 987 shares of the company's stock worth $160,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AN stock opened at $196.65 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.41 billion, a PE ratio of 12.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.99. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $196.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $183.52. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $148.33 and a 52 week high of $217.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.72.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 25th. The company reported $5.46 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.70 by $0.76. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 31.31%. 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 business posted $3.99 earnings per share. AutoNation's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Cfra Research upgraded AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Citigroup upgraded AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Wall Street Zen upgraded AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 10th. 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. Finally, Guggenheim lowered their price target on AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $211.38.

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.

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