Swiss National Bank Sells 500 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Swiss National Bank cut its stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 50,700 shares of the company’s stock after selling 500 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank owned 0.13% of AutoNation worth $8,611,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its stake in AutoNation by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,290 shares of the company’s stock worth $219,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the company’s stock valued at $590,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the company’s stock valued at $657,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Davis Capital Management lifted its holdings in AutoNation by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Davis Capital Management now owns 9,703 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,648,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mutual of America Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in AutoNation by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC now owns 14,152 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,532,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Evercore ISI raised their price target on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Stephens raised their price target on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, StockNews.com raised AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $204.71.

AutoNation Price Performance

AutoNation stock opened at $167.02 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $180.94 and its 200 day moving average is $173.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.21. The firm has a market cap of $6.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.86, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32. AutoNation, Inc. has a one year low of $150.08 and a one year high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.48% and a net margin of 2.59%. As a group, research analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current year.

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.