16,575 Shares in AutoNation, Inc. $AN Bought by Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc.

Key Points

• Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. has acquired a new stake in AutoNation, Inc., purchasing 16,575 shares valued at approximately $2.68 million.
• Multiple institutional investors have significantly increased their positions in AutoNation, with AQR Capital Management seeing a 144.6% growth in their stake.
• AutoNation's stock has received positive updates from analysts, with target prices raised by firms such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America, reflecting a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $223.25.

Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 16,575 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,684,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 104.2% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,882 shares of the company's stock worth $952,000 after acquiring an additional 3,001 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 95.3% during 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 during the period. Focus Partners Wealth acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth about $503,000. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 9.7% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 987 shares of the company's stock worth $160,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation during the first quarter worth about $5,162,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AN has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 10th. Stephens upped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of AutoNation from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday. Guggenheim lowered their target price on shares of AutoNation from $230.00 to $228.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $185.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, AutoNation currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $222.63.

AutoNation Trading Down 0.3%

NYSE:AN traded down $0.71 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $221.27. 53,153 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 475,070. 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 firm has a market cap of $8.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.86, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.88. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $148.33 and a 52-week high of $228.92. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $209.04 and a 200 day simple moving average of $189.15.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 25th. The company reported $5.46 earnings per share (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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.77 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.99 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current year.

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.