Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. Cuts Stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. cut its position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) by 57.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 155,821 shares of the company's stock after selling 209,803 shares during the quarter. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. owned 0.39% of AutoNation worth $26,465,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Boston Partners increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 12.6% during the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,814,228 shares of the company's stock worth $309,312,000 after buying an additional 203,335 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its holdings in AutoNation by 23.3% during the fourth quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 851,870 shares of the company's stock worth $144,682,000 after acquiring an additional 160,794 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 435,363 shares of the company's stock worth $73,965,000 after buying an additional 1,633 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 327,165 shares of the company's stock worth $55,566,000 after purchasing an additional 6,277 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at $38,136,000. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Stock Performance

AN traded down $2.25 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $172.06. The company's stock had a trading volume of 82,874 shares, compared to its average volume of 454,679. The firm has a market cap of $6.75 billion, a PE ratio of 10.16, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.15. 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 business's 50 day simple moving average is $168.44 and its 200-day simple moving average is $172.86. AutoNation, Inc. has a one year low of $148.33 and a one year high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.35 by $0.33. The business had revenue of $6.69 billion during 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 quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.49 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on AN shares. Cfra Research raised shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Guggenheim lowered their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Citigroup raised AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on 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, Evercore ISI boosted their price target on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $200.75.

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.