4,671 Shares in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Bought by SG Americas Securities LLC

SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 4,671 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $756,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC grew its position 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 worth $248,172,000 after buying an additional 488,904 shares during the period. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. grew its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 465,000 shares during the period. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 63.0% during the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 1,104,934 shares of the company's stock worth $187,662,000 after buying an additional 426,882 shares during the period. Cartenna Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $56,831,000. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,136,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AN has been the topic of a number of research reports. Citigroup raised shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. 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 research note on Thursday, March 27th. Cfra Research raised shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Three 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $205.75.

AutoNation Price Performance

AutoNation stock traded up $1.89 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $198.47. 429,177 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 462,660. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $181.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $177.74. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $148.33 and a 12 month high of $199.06. 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 cap of $7.48 billion, a PE ratio of 11.74, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.99.

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