Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC Invests $13.43 Million in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 79,052 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,426,000. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC owned about 0.20% of AutoNation at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Boston Partners lifted its holdings in AutoNation by 12.6% in the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,814,228 shares of the company's stock valued at $309,312,000 after acquiring an additional 203,335 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 23.3% in the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 851,870 shares of the company's stock valued at $144,682,000 after purchasing an additional 160,794 shares during the last quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. grew its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 422.7% during the 4th quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 575,000 shares of the company's stock worth $97,658,000 after purchasing an additional 465,000 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 435,363 shares of the company's stock worth $73,965,000 after purchasing an additional 1,633 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cartenna Capital LP purchased a new stake in AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at about $56,831,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE AN traded up $1.52 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $176.54. The company had a trading volume of 368,662 shares, compared to its average volume of 455,412. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $168.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $172.99. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $148.33 and a 52-week high of $198.50. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The stock has a market cap of $6.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.42, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 0.99.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 return on equity of 30.48% and a net margin of 2.59%. The business's revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.49 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on AN. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price 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. Citigroup raised shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Stephens raised their price target on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Cfra Research raised AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus 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.