GSA Capital Partners LLP Raises 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 increased its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 30.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,661 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 2,992 shares during the quarter. 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 have also bought and sold shares of AN. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 8.7% during the fourth quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 15,697 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,667,000 after acquiring an additional 1,253 shares during the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new position in AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at $883,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at $38,136,000. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA grew its stake in AutoNation by 7.3% in the 4th quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 3,954 shares of the company's stock valued at $672,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the period. Finally, Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC grew its stake in AutoNation by 15.4% in the 4th quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 1,296 shares of the company's stock valued at $220,000 after purchasing an additional 173 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AN traded down $2.24 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $190.40. 261,317 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 490,808. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12-month low of $148.33 and a 12-month high of $217.40. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84. The company has a market cap of $7.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.96, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.99. The business's fifty day moving average price is $196.92 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $183.77.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 25th. The company reported $5.46 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.70 by $0.76. The company 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%. AutoNation's revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.99 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Bank of America upped their price objective on AutoNation from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 16th. Stephens upped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Guggenheim dropped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 10th. Finally, Citigroup raised AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation presently has a consensus 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.