AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Shares Bought by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 0.5% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 22,113 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $3,756,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Barclays PLC lifted its position in AutoNation by 5.4% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 43,987 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,870,000 after purchasing an additional 2,263 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 48.3% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 20,148 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,370,000 after buying an additional 6,558 shares in the last quarter. First Hawaiian Bank lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 12.4% in the 4th quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 2,030 shares of the company’s stock valued at $345,000 after buying an additional 224 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 581.8% in the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 150 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wedmont Private Capital acquired a new position in AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth $207,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Stock Performance

AutoNation stock opened at $179.55 on Friday. AutoNation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $148.33 and a fifty-two week high of $198.50. The company has a market capitalization of $6.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.60, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.00. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $167.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $173.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.74.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.53 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.49 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on AN shares. Citigroup raised AutoNation to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. StockNews.com cut shares of AutoNation from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Guggenheim decreased their price target on AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $200.75.

AutoNation 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.