WINTON GROUP Ltd Takes $6.44 Million Position in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 31,206 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,443,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of AN. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 8.9% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 18,953 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,070,000 after purchasing an additional 1,551 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association purchased a new position in AutoNation during the first quarter valued at $265,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake in AutoNation by 10.9% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 98,610 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,967,000 after acquiring an additional 9,656 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth grew its stake in AutoNation by 17.3% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,472 shares of the company’s stock valued at $562,000 after acquiring an additional 511 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in AutoNation by 37.4% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total transaction of $512,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 1,456 shares in the company, valued at $298,348.96. This trade represents a 63.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 1.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on AN. UBS Group began coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $234.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Bank of America started coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $269.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Stephens lifted their price objective 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. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $246.90.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AN opened at $188.14 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $196.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $202.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.19, a PEG ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52 week low of $176.62 and a 52 week high of $228.92.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.71 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $6.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.65 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 2.47%.AutoNation’s revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.68 EPS. On average, analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AutoNation 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.