Dana Investment Advisors Inc. Cuts Position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Dana Investment Advisors Inc. lowered its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 11.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 22,459 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,927 shares during the period. Dana Investment Advisors Inc. owned about 0.06% of AutoNation worth $3,814,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AN. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 581.8% during the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 150 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. boosted its position in AutoNation by 150.8% during the fourth quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in AutoNation by 403.6% during the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 282 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares in the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 16.4% in the third quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 964 shares of the company’s stock valued at $172,000 after buying an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 3rd quarter worth $201,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Stock Down 1.5 %

AN stock opened at $171.78 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $182.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $174.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.14, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.25. AutoNation, Inc. has a one year low of $145.28 and a one year high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.48% and a net margin of 2.59%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AN has been the topic of a number of research reports. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. StockNews.com upgraded AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Stephens increased their target price on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised 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. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price 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.