AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Stock Holdings Lessened by M&T Bank Corp

M&T Bank Corp lowered its stake in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 5.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 5,725 shares of the company’s stock after selling 351 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $972,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 2.3% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 854,034 shares of the company’s stock valued at $152,804,000 after buying an additional 19,037 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 4.5% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 433,730 shares of the company’s stock valued at $77,623,000 after buying an additional 18,588 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 6,277 shares in the last quarter. Simcoe Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of AutoNation in the third quarter valued at $42,255,000. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP bought a new position in shares of AutoNation in the third quarter valued at $20,046,000. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.1 %

AutoNation stock opened at $165.09 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $182.23 and its 200-day simple moving average is $174.42. 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 12 month low of $147.94 and a 12 month high of $198.50. The stock has a market cap of $6.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.75, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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, sell-side analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Stephens boosted their target price on shares of 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. boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. StockNews.com raised shares of AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price 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.