Inspire Investing LLC Buys 1,706 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Key Points

• Inspire Investing LLC increased its stake in AutoNation, Inc. by 14.0% during Q1, owning 13,900 shares valued at approximately $2.25 million.
• AutoNation's stock climbed by 1.8% recently, with a market cap of $8.57 billion and a one-year high of $228.92.
• Recent analyst reports show mixed opinions on AutoNation, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $222.63.

Inspire Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 14.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,900 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,706 shares during the quarter. Inspire Investing LLC's holdings in AutoNation were worth $2,251,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of AN. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 144.6% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 416,167 shares of the company's stock valued at $65,950,000 after acquiring an additional 245,994 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen LLC acquired a new stake in AutoNation during the first quarter worth about $36,060,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 7.2% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,256,308 shares of the company's stock valued at $527,261,000 after purchasing an additional 219,474 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 8.3% in the 1st quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,964,187 shares of the company's stock valued at $318,749,000 after purchasing an additional 149,959 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Voloridge Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in AutoNation by 253.0% in the 4th quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 172,264 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,257,000 after buying an additional 123,466 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AutoNation Price Performance

NYSE AN traded down $1.98 on Monday, reaching $220.00. 426,194 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 477,244. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $148.33 and a 12 month high of $228.92. 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 stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $209.04 and a 200 day simple moving average of $189.15. The stock has a market cap of $8.30 billion, a PE ratio of 13.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.89.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on AN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $185.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 10th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 14th. Guggenheim cut their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $230.00 to $228.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $209.00 to $221.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $222.63.

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.