Brokerages Set AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Target Price at $244.00

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) has earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eleven analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $244.2222.

Several equities analysts have issued reports on AN shares. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on AutoNation from $240.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on AutoNation from $220.00 to $222.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday. Citigroup lifted their price target on AutoNation from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AN opened at $211.66 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $7.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.45 and a beta of 0.88. 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 50 day moving average price of $207.69 and a 200 day moving average price of $209.60.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $7.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.74 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.38% and a return on equity of 31.84%. The company’s revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS. Research analysts predict that AutoNation will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AutoNation announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Friday, October 31st that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy up to 13.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 8.9% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 18,953 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,070,000 after purchasing an additional 1,551 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new position in AutoNation in the 1st quarter valued at $265,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in AutoNation by 10.9% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 98,610 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,967,000 after buying an additional 9,656 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 17.3% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,472 shares of the company’s stock worth $562,000 after acquiring an additional 511 shares during the period. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about AutoNation

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoNation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised a broad set of EPS forecasts for AutoNation, boosting FY2026 to $20.90 (from $20.55) and FY2027 to $24.06 (from $23.16), and increasing several quarterly prints (examples: Q1 2027 to $5.19, Q2 2027 to $5.97, Q3 2027 to $6.16, Q4 2027 to $6.74). Upgrades point to stronger-than-expected profit outlook and drive a positive fundamental narrative for AN. MarketBeat AN News
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published a primer titled “Should Value Investors Buy AutoNation (AN) Stock?” that reviews valuation and its Zacks Rank approach — useful context for investors weighing the upgraded estimates against current valuation. Should Value Investors Buy AutoNation (AN) Stock?

AutoNation Company Profile

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.