Nomura Holdings Inc. Lowers Stock Position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Nomura Holdings Inc. cut its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 53.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,472 shares of the company's stock after selling 4,049 shares during the period. Nomura Holdings Inc.'s holdings in AutoNation were worth $590,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barclays PLC raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 43,987 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,870,000 after acquiring an additional 2,263 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $223,000. Perpetual Ltd raised its position in AutoNation by 104.7% in the fourth quarter. Perpetual Ltd now owns 3,685 shares of the company's stock valued at $626,000 after purchasing an additional 1,885 shares during the period. Davis Capital Management lifted its stake in AutoNation by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Davis Capital Management now owns 9,703 shares of the company's stock worth $1,648,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Whalen Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth $255,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on AN shares. Cfra Research upgraded AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Citigroup upgraded shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Stephens increased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Three investment 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $200.75.

AutoNation Stock Up 0.9%

AutoNation stock traded up $1.64 during trading on Monday, reaching $182.23. The stock had a trading volume of 423,290 shares, compared to its average volume of 459,321. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $148.33 and a 52-week high of $198.50. The stock has a market cap of $6.87 billion, a PE ratio of 10.76, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.00. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $172.19 and a 200 day moving average price of $175.41.

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

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.