Candlestick Capital Management LP Sells 70,128 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)

Candlestick Capital Management LP decreased its stake in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 35.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 129,599 shares of the company’s stock after selling 70,128 shares during the quarter. Candlestick Capital Management LP owned approximately 0.33% of AutoNation worth $22,011,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of AN. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 581.8% in the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 150 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. grew its position in AutoNation by 150.8% during the 4th quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% in the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 77.1% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 494 shares of the company’s stock worth $84,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares during the period. Finally, McIlrath & Eck LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 16.4% in the third quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 964 shares of the company’s stock worth $172,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Stock Up 1.0 %

AutoNation stock opened at $175.14 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $169.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $172.80. The company has a market capitalization of $6.87 billion, a PE ratio of 10.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.74. AutoNation, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $148.33 and a fifty-two week high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.35 by $0.33. The business had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.53 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.49 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on AN shares. Citigroup started coverage on shares of AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $217.00 price target on the stock. Stephens lifted their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Guggenheim decreased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $200.75.

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.