Q1 Earnings Forecast for AutoNation Issued By Zacks Research

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) – Zacks Research increased their Q1 2027 EPS estimates for AutoNation in a research note issued on Monday, January 12th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of $5.19 for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $5.04. The consensus estimate for AutoNation’s current full-year earnings is $18.15 per share.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $5.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.85 by $0.16. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.38% and a return on equity of 31.84%. The company had revenue of $7.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.74 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. AutoNation’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup raised their price objective on AutoNation from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on AutoNation from $220.00 to $222.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $244.22.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AN opened at $213.37 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $207.33 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $209.59. AutoNation has a 52 week low of $148.33 and a 52 week high of $228.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.55 and a beta of 0.88.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,176,626 shares of the company’s stock valued at $694,950,000 after acquiring an additional 34,153 shares during the period. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 7.5% during the second quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC now owns 1,214,510 shares of the company’s stock worth $241,262,000 after purchasing an additional 84,455 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 11.2% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 907,163 shares of the company’s stock worth $198,460,000 after purchasing an additional 91,232 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 10.5% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 697,927 shares of the company’s stock valued at $151,967,000 after purchasing an additional 66,183 shares during the period. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 38.3% in the third quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 548,677 shares of the company’s stock worth $120,034,000 after purchasing an additional 151,966 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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

Key AutoNation News

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoNation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised EPS estimates across multiple quarters and fiscal years — including Q1–Q4 2026 increases, FY2026 to $20.90 (from $20.55) and FY2027 to $24.06 (from $23.16). They also lifted a string of quarterly forecasts (Q2–Q4 2026, Q2–Q4 2027 and Q3 2026/2027), and raised Q4 2027 to $6.74. These upward revisions signal stronger expected earnings momentum and are the primary catalyst for the stock moving higher today.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published a broader piece evaluating whether value investors should buy AutoNation, highlighting its Zacks Rank approach (focus on earnings‑estimate revisions and value/growth trends). The article may draw additional investor interest but is more analytical than a direct catalyst. Should Value Investors Buy AutoNation (AN) Stock?

About AutoNation

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.