Rialto Wealth Management LLC Takes Position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Rialto Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm acquired 1,421 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $241,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AN. Edgestream Partners L.P. bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 4th quarter worth $1,633,000. Inceptionr LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 66.0% during the fourth quarter. Inceptionr LLC now owns 5,868 shares of the company’s stock valued at $997,000 after buying an additional 2,334 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter valued at $7,836,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new stake in AutoNation in the 4th quarter worth about $2,522,000. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in AutoNation in the 4th quarter worth about $7,009,000. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AutoNation Trading Down 0.4 %

NYSE:AN opened at $171.14 on Friday. AutoNation, Inc. has a one year low of $147.31 and a one year high of $198.50. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $182.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $174.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.21.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. Sell-side analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Stephens upped their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target 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.