Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC Grows Stock Holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC grew its holdings in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 5.4% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 2,052 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC’s holdings in AutoNation were worth $349,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in AN. Atria Investments Inc purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at $507,000. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at $214,000. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 8.8% in the 3rd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,701 shares of the company’s stock valued at $305,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. Meixler Investment Management Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 19.7% in the 3rd quarter. Meixler Investment Management Ltd. now owns 4,961 shares of the company’s stock valued at $888,000 after acquiring an additional 817 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 403.6% in the 3rd quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 282 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Stock Performance

AN opened at $164.79 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The company has a market cap of $6.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.73, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32. AutoNation, Inc. has a 52-week low of $147.31 and a 52-week high of $198.50. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $182.31 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $174.48.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. Equities analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $204.71.

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.