Versor Investments LP Takes Position in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Key Points

• Versor Investments LP has invested approximately $1.88 million in AutoNation, acquiring 11,600 shares during the first quarter.
• Institutional investors now hold 94.62% of AutoNation's stock, indicating strong confidence in the company among large stakeholders.
• AutoNation reported better-than-expected earnings with $5.46 EPS and a revenue of $6.97 billion for the quarter, surpassing analyst estimates.

Versor Investments LP acquired a new stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 11,600 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,878,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Algert Global LLC grew its position in AutoNation by 1,534.7% in the 1st quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 38,840 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,289,000 after acquiring an additional 36,464 shares in the last quarter. Ethic Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 1.9% in the first quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 4,635 shares of the company's stock valued at $761,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 11.5% in the first quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 150,950 shares of the company's stock valued at $24,442,000 after purchasing an additional 15,527 shares in the last quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in AutoNation during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,073,000. Finally, Boston Partners increased its stake in AutoNation by 8.3% during the 1st quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,964,187 shares of the company's stock worth $318,749,000 after buying an additional 149,959 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Stock Up 1.6%

AN traded up $3.2880 on Tuesday, reaching $210.4680. The company's stock had a trading volume of 267,647 shares, compared to its average volume of 504,553. The company has a market capitalization of $7.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.89. AutoNation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $148.33 and a fifty-two week high of $217.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $201.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $185.16.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 25th. The company reported $5.46 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.70 by $0.76. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 31.12%. The business had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.77 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.99 EPS. The company's revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on AN. Stephens raised their price target on shares of AutoNation from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Cfra Research upgraded AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Wall Street Zen raised AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 10th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on AutoNation from $209.00 to $221.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on AutoNation from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $223.25.

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.