Oak Thistle LLC Makes New Investment in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Oak Thistle LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 10,107 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,637,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 50.3% during the 4th quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC now owns 1,461,213 shares of the company's stock valued at $248,172,000 after purchasing an additional 488,904 shares during the last quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. grew its position in AutoNation by 422.7% during the 4th quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 575,000 shares of the company's stock worth $97,658,000 after acquiring an additional 465,000 shares during the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. increased its stake in AutoNation by 63.0% in the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 1,104,934 shares of the company's stock worth $187,662,000 after purchasing an additional 426,882 shares during the period. Cartenna Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $56,831,000. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter valued at about $38,136,000. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AN traded up $3.12 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $203.37. The stock had a trading volume of 970,871 shares, compared to its average volume of 485,877. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $148.33 and a 12 month high of $217.40. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $195.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $182.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.72, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.67 billion, a PE ratio of 12.03, a PEG ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.99.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 25th. The company reported $5.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.70 by $0.76. The company had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.77 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.08% and a net margin of 2.51%. The firm's revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.99 EPS. Analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AN has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Cfra Research raised shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Guggenheim decreased their price target 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. Wall Street Zen upgraded AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on AutoNation from $187.00 to $209.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $209.88.

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.