Two Sigma Investments LP Boosts Stock Position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Two Sigma Investments LP raised its position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 74.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 66,414 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 28,287 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP owned 0.17% of AutoNation worth $11,280,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in AN. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC grew its position in AutoNation by 50.3% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. raised its holdings 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. raised its holdings 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 bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter valued at about $56,831,000. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth about $38,136,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of AN traded up $3.18 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $185.39. The company had a trading volume of 432,968 shares, compared to its average volume of 459,216. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $148.33 and a 52-week high of $198.50. 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's 50 day moving average price is $172.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $175.53. The firm has a market cap of $6.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.94, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.00.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on AN shares. Citigroup raised shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Guggenheim lowered their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective 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. Stephens increased their target price on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price target on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $200.75.

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.