Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board Sells 2,033 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board lowered its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 41.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,899 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,033 shares during the period. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $492,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its position in AutoNation by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,290 shares of the company’s stock valued at $219,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the company’s stock worth $590,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its position in AutoNation by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 11,171 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,897,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in AutoNation by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the company’s stock valued at $657,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Davis Capital Management raised its position in AutoNation by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Davis Capital Management now owns 9,703 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,648,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on AN shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 27th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of AutoNation from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price objective on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $201.86.

AutoNation Price Performance

AN stock opened at $162.02 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $172.46 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $172.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.56, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.15. AutoNation, Inc. has a 12-month low of $148.33 and a 12-month high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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, equities analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

About AutoNation

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.