Boston Partners Purchases 203,335 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Boston Partners grew its stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 12.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,814,228 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 203,335 shares during the period. Boston Partners owned about 4.58% of AutoNation worth $309,312,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in AN. CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 5.6% in the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,290 shares of the company’s stock worth $219,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the company’s stock worth $590,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the company’s stock worth $657,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Davis Capital Management raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Davis Capital Management now owns 9,703 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,648,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mutual of America Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 0.6% in the third quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC now owns 14,152 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,532,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AutoNation Stock Up 2.5 %

AutoNation stock opened at $164.22 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $181.49 and a 200-day moving average of $173.81. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $6.45 billion, a PE ratio of 9.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32. AutoNation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $150.08 and a twelve month high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced 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 net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Stephens lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $204.71.

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.