HCR Wealth Advisors Boosts Position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

HCR Wealth Advisors grew its position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 0.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,842 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 185 shares during the quarter. AutoNation accounts for approximately 0.5% of HCR Wealth Advisors’ holdings, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. HCR Wealth Advisors’ holdings in AutoNation were worth $4,219,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in AN. Retirement Systems of Alabama lifted its stake in AutoNation by 142.2% in the 3rd quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 73,429 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,138,000 after buying an additional 43,113 shares in the last quarter. Point72 DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the second quarter worth $602,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the third quarter valued at $585,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 33.8% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,899 shares of the company’s stock valued at $340,000 after acquiring an additional 480 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in AutoNation by 6.3% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 320,888 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,413,000 after purchasing an additional 19,015 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AN has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $169.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley upgraded AutoNation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $145.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Bank of America lowered their price target on AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 14th. Guggenheim cut their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $190.00 to $189.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, AutoNation has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $197.71.

AutoNation Stock Up 1.8 %

AN opened at $182.26 on Thursday. AutoNation, Inc. has a 1 year low of $133.13 and a 1 year high of $197.18. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $172.58 and a 200 day moving average price of $170.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.80. The company has a market cap of $7.23 billion, a PE ratio of 10.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.28 and a beta of 1.26.

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.