Two Sigma Advisers LP Purchases 20,400 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Two Sigma Advisers LP boosted its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 44.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 66,700 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 20,400 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP owned 0.17% of AutoNation worth $11,328,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 150.8% during the 4th quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company's stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 77.1% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 494 shares of the company's stock worth $84,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter worth $183,000. Finally, Curio Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter worth $197,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on AN shares. 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. Cfra Research upgraded shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price 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. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price 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. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded 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 given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $200.75.

AutoNation Stock Performance

NYSE AN traded down $1.34 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $184.11. The company had a trading volume of 59,477 shares, compared to its average volume of 457,651. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The stock has a market cap of $6.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.87, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.00. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $172.90 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $175.60. AutoNation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $148.33 and a fifty-two week high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.35 by $0.33. The company had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.53 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.49 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AutoNation 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.