BNP Paribas Financial Markets Increases Holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 13.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 52,599 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 6,407 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets owned about 0.13% of AutoNation worth $8,933,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. increased its stake in AutoNation by 150.8% in the 4th quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in AutoNation by 25.5% in the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in AutoNation by 77.1% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 494 shares of the company’s stock worth $84,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares during the period. Curio Wealth LLC purchased a new position in AutoNation in the 4th quarter worth approximately $197,000. Finally, Wedmont Private Capital purchased a new position in AutoNation in the 4th quarter worth approximately $207,000. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE AN opened at $179.77 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. AutoNation, Inc. has a twelve month low of $148.33 and a twelve month high of $198.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.78 billion, a PE ratio of 10.61, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.00. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $167.93 and its 200 day moving average is $173.51.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.35 by $0.33. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.48% and a net margin of 2.59%. The company had revenue of $6.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.49 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on AN. StockNews.com raised AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Guggenheim reduced their target price on AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Stephens boosted their target price on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Citigroup raised AutoNation to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price 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.