Millennium Management LLC Boosts Holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 2,229.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 75,254 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 72,023 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC owned approximately 0.19% of AutoNation worth $12,781,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% during the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company's stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,290 shares of the company's stock worth $219,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the company's stock worth $590,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 11,171 shares of the company's stock worth $1,897,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the company's stock worth $657,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on AN shares. Citigroup upgraded shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 10th. Cfra Research upgraded shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Stephens boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, AutoNation presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $200.75.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AN stock traded down $0.73 during trading on Thursday, reaching $182.09. 45,523 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 496,703. The company has a market capitalization of $6.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.75, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The firm's 50-day moving average is $173.21 and its 200 day moving average is $175.65. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $148.33 and a 1 year high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.35 by $0.33. The company had revenue of $6.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.53 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. AutoNation's revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.49 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current year.

AutoNation 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.