Quantbot Technologies LP Has $8.85 Million Stock Holdings in AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Quantbot Technologies LP raised its position in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 379.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 40,466 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 32,024 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $8,853,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. HM Payson & Co. bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in AutoNation during the third quarter worth about $37,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 355.3% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 173 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 2,477.8% in the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 232 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AN has been the subject of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $235.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on AutoNation from $225.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 8th. Evercore increased their target price on AutoNation from $240.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Barclays reduced their price target on AutoNation from $250.00 to $245.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $222.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Sunday, February 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $248.11.

AutoNation Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NYSE AN opened at $194.83 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.42 and a beta of 0.88. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $148.33 and a 52-week high of $228.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.39, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 0.84. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $208.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $210.79.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 6th. The company reported $5.08 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.91 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $6.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.21 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.35% and a return on equity of 31.69%. AutoNation’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.97 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

AutoNation announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Friday, October 31st that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 13.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

AutoNation Company 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.