WINTON GROUP Ltd Purchases New Position in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

WINTON GROUP Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 31,206 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,443,000. WINTON GROUP Ltd owned 0.09% of AutoNation at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in AutoNation by 192,434.0% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 4,424,431 shares of the company’s stock worth $913,557,000 after purchasing an additional 4,422,133 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in AutoNation by 1.1% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,176,626 shares of the company’s stock worth $694,950,000 after purchasing an additional 34,153 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in AutoNation by 11.2% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 907,163 shares of the company’s stock worth $198,460,000 after purchasing an additional 91,232 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in AutoNation by 10.5% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 697,927 shares of the company’s stock worth $151,967,000 after purchasing an additional 66,183 shares during the period. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP grew its holdings in AutoNation by 38.3% in the third quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 548,677 shares of the company’s stock worth $120,034,000 after purchasing an additional 151,966 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of AutoNation stock opened at $188.14 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $6.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.74. The company’s 50 day moving average is $196.41 and its 200 day moving average is $202.09. AutoNation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $176.62 and a twelve month high of $228.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.71 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $6.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.65 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.68 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.19 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other AutoNation news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total value of $512,275.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,456 shares in the company, valued at approximately $298,348.96. This trade represents a 63.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Barclays increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $234.00 price target on the stock. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoNation has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $246.90.

About AutoNation

AutoNation, Inc is the largest automotive retailer in the United States, operating a network of franchised new vehicle dealerships, pre-owned vehicle superstores and collision-repair centers. The company offers a comprehensive range of automotive products and services, including the sale of new cars and light trucks from leading manufacturers, certified pre-owned vehicles and a wide selection of used models. In addition to retail vehicle sales, AutoNation provides financing, insurance and extended service contracts through its in-house financial services division, as well as genuine and aftermarket parts, factory-recommended maintenance and collision-repair services.

Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, AutoNation was founded in 1996 by entrepreneur H.