Pecaut & CO. Has $4.25 Million Stock Position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Pecaut & CO. lowered its position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 4.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 26,220 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,300 shares during the period. AutoNation makes up about 1.4% of Pecaut & CO.'s portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest position. Pecaut & CO. owned approximately 0.07% of AutoNation worth $4,246,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of AN. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% in the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its position in AutoNation by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 7,580 shares of the company's stock worth $1,227,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its stake in AutoNation by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 11,171 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,897,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the company's stock valued at $657,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SummerHaven Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 1.6% in the first quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 4,918 shares of the company's stock worth $796,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Stock Up 0.2%

AN traded up $0.35 on Friday, hitting $196.76. 420,357 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 462,259. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $194.99 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $182.11. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.72. AutoNation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $148.33 and a twelve month high of $217.40. The company has a market cap of $7.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.99.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.35 by $0.33. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.08% and a net margin of 2.51%. The firm had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.49 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on AN. Cfra Research raised shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on AutoNation from $187.00 to $209.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Citigroup raised AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 10th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $209.88.

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.