Versor Investments LP Reduces Position in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Versor Investments LP lessened its holdings in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 67.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,906 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,962 shares during the quarter. Versor Investments LP’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $394,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of AN. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 260.2% during the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 333,975 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,064,000 after acquiring an additional 241,265 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 51.8% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 631,744 shares of the company’s stock worth $125,439,000 after acquiring an additional 215,577 shares during the last quarter. Holocene Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 38.3% during the 3rd quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 548,677 shares of the company’s stock worth $120,034,000 after acquiring an additional 151,966 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 11.2% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 907,163 shares of the company’s stock worth $198,460,000 after acquiring an additional 91,232 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Simcoe Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 3rd quarter worth $18,988,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Stock Up 0.9%

AN opened at $192.87 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.81. AutoNation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $176.25 and a fifty-two week high of $228.92. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $196.54 and its 200 day moving average is $202.91. The stock has a market cap of $6.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.79.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its earnings results 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). AutoNation had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The firm had revenue of $6.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.65 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.68 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Stephens lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $228.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $235.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $248.33.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoNation

In related news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total transaction of $512,275.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 1,456 shares in the company, valued at approximately $298,348.96. The trade was a 63.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Company Profile

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.