AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Receives $173.00 Average Price Target from Analysts

Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seven ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $175.38.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on AN shares. Evercore ISI started coverage on AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $185.00 price objective for the company. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on AutoNation from $165.00 to $169.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th. Morgan Stanley upgraded AutoNation from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $117.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on AutoNation from $153.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded AutoNation from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 21st.

AutoNation Trading Up 1.1 %

AutoNation stock opened at $162.85 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $155.71 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $145.42. The company has a market cap of $6.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.24. AutoNation has a 52-week low of $123.81 and a 52-week high of $182.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 26th. The company reported $4.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.45 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $6.49 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.49 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 42.44% and a net margin of 3.41%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $6.05 EPS. Analysts predict that AutoNation will post 18.83 EPS for the current year.

AutoNation announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Friday, April 26th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 14.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at AutoNation

In other news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 3,133 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $152.28, for a total transaction of $477,093.24. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 464 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $70,657.92. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 3,133 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $152.28, for a total transaction of $477,093.24. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 464 shares in the company, valued at approximately $70,657.92. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director David B. Edelson sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $168.00, for a total value of $1,680,000.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 48,793 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,197,224. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 131,279 shares of company stock valued at $21,041,962 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.74% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. First United Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in AutoNation during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in AutoNation during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC bought a new position in AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new position in AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Avalon Trust Co bought a new position in AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

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.