Inspire Advisors LLC Acquires Shares of 1,952 AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Key Points

• Inspire Advisors LLC has made a new investment in AutoNation, purchasing 1,952 shares valued at approximately $316,000.
• AutoNation reported $5.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations of $4.70, and showed a revenue increase of 7.6% year-over-year.
• Analyst ratings for AutoNation are positive, with several firms raising their price targets and giving the stock an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Inspire Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 1,952 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $316,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of AN. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC lifted its stake in AutoNation by 50.3% in the fourth quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC now owns 1,461,213 shares of the company's stock worth $248,172,000 after acquiring an additional 488,904 shares during the last quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 422.7% in the 4th quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 575,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $97,658,000 after acquiring an additional 465,000 shares during the period. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 63.0% in the 4th 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 period. Cartenna Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at $56,831,000. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at $38,136,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Trading Down 0.9%

AN traded down $1.79 on Friday, reaching $190.86. 105,280 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 489,793. The company's 50 day moving average is $196.92 and its 200-day moving average is $183.77. The company has a market cap of $7.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.97, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.99. AutoNation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $148.33 and a twelve month high of $217.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 0.81.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AN has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 10th. Stephens boosted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Guggenheim cut their target price on shares of AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 16th. Finally, Citigroup raised shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $211.38.

About AutoNation

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.