AutoNation, Inc. $AN Shares Sold by Boston Partners

Boston Partners lowered its position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 13.2% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,704,175 shares of the company’s stock after selling 260,012 shares during the quarter. Boston Partners owned 4.52% of AutoNation worth $338,284,000 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. Prudential Financial Inc. grew its stake in AutoNation by 282.5% in the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 15,644 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,108,000 after acquiring an additional 11,554 shares during the last quarter. Covalis Capital LLP lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 3.3% in the second quarter. Covalis Capital LLP now owns 30,981 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,154,000 after purchasing an additional 980 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 1.9% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 19,106 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,795,000 after purchasing an additional 361 shares in the last quarter. AXQ Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the second quarter valued at approximately $222,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 26,478 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,260,000 after purchasing an additional 1,718 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Guggenheim reduced their target price on AutoNation from $230.00 to $228.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on AutoNation from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of AutoNation in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $240.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $243.11.

AutoNation Trading Up 3.1%

NYSE AN opened at $215.41 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $7.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.67, a P/E/G ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 0.87. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12 month low of $148.33 and a 12 month high of $228.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The company has a 50-day moving average of $208.65 and a 200-day moving average of $204.19.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $5.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.85 by $0.16. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.38% and a return on equity of 31.84%. The firm had revenue of $7.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.74 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.02 earnings per share. AutoNation’s revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

AutoNation declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Friday, October 31st that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to purchase up to 13.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

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.