Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Makes New Investment in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 19,377 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,291,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of AN. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 150.8% in the 4th quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in AutoNation by 77.1% during the fourth 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 period. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new stake in AutoNation in the fourth quarter worth approximately $183,000. Finally, Curio Wealth LLC bought a new stake in AutoNation in the fourth quarter worth approximately $197,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of AutoNation stock traded down $1.94 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $183.40. The company's stock had a trading volume of 264,004 shares, compared to its average volume of 458,613. The company has a market capitalization of $6.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.83, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.00. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $174.14 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $176.18. AutoNation, Inc. has a one year low of $148.33 and a one year high of $198.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.74.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.35 by $0.33. The business had revenue of $6.69 billion for 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 firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.49 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on AN shares. Guggenheim cut their price target on AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a 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 on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased 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 note on Monday, April 21st. Citigroup upgraded shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Three equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $200.75.

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.