Peak Retirement Planning Inc. Takes Position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Peak Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 5,611 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $952,000.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in AN. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 50.3% in the 4th quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC now owns 1,461,213 shares of the company's stock valued at $248,172,000 after acquiring an additional 488,904 shares in the last quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 422.7% in the 4th quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 575,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $97,658,000 after acquiring an additional 465,000 shares in the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 63.0% in the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 1,104,934 shares of the company's stock valued at $187,662,000 after acquiring an additional 426,882 shares in the last quarter. Cartenna Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $56,831,000. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $38,136,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on AN. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Cfra Research upgraded shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Guggenheim cut their target price on shares of AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Stephens increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $200.75.

AutoNation Price Performance

AN traded down $2.90 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $182.55. 364,054 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 458,837. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.00. 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 one year low of $148.33 and a one year high of $198.50. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $172.90 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $175.60.

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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.35 by $0.33. The firm had revenue of $6.69 billion during 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%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.49 earnings per share. As a group, research 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.