41,271 Shares in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Purchased by Proficio Capital Partners LLC

Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 41,271 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,009,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Atria Investments Inc boosted its stake in AutoNation by 7.2% in the fourth quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 3,040 shares of the company’s stock valued at $516,000 after acquiring an additional 205 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in AutoNation by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 327,165 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,566,000 after acquiring an additional 6,277 shares during the period. Schechter Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in AutoNation by 6.4% in the fourth quarter. Schechter Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,473 shares of the company’s stock valued at $420,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares during the period. Factorial Partners LLC boosted its stake in AutoNation by 57.4% in the fourth quarter. Factorial Partners LLC now owns 5,350 shares of the company’s stock valued at $909,000 after acquiring an additional 1,950 shares during the period. Finally, Dynasty Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in AutoNation by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Dynasty Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,985 shares of the company’s stock valued at $847,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on AN. StockNews.com raised AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Evercore ISI upped 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 lifted their price objective 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $204.71.

AutoNation Stock Up 2.4 %

AutoNation stock opened at $160.44 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $6.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.47, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.21. AutoNation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $150.08 and a fifty-two week high of $198.50. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $181.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $173.91.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share 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%. As a group, analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

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.