Raymond James Financial Inc. Takes Position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm acquired 46,136 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,836,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 581.8% during the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 150 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 150.8% during the fourth quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 16.4% during the third quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 964 shares of the company’s stock valued at $172,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter valued at about $201,000. Finally, Wedmont Private Capital purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter valued at about $207,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE AN opened at $167.02 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.21. The company has a market cap of $6.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.86, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $150.08 and a 1 year high of $198.50. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $180.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $173.53.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. Research analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Stephens raised their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. StockNews.com upgraded AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price target on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. 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, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $204.71.

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.