AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twelve analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $246.50.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on AN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of AutoNation from $235.00 to $210.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $248.00 price objective on shares of AutoNation in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $255.00 price objective on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Northcoast Research upgraded AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $240.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $198,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 7,989 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,757,580. This trade represents a 10.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AN. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 73.9% in the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 193 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 33.0% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 306 shares of the company’s stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. Monetary Solutions Ltd acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $64,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $63,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its position in AutoNation by 59.4% in the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $83,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Trading Up 2.3%

Shares of AN opened at $166.61 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68. AutoNation has a 12-month low of $161.95 and a 12-month high of $235.81. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $201.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $196.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.72, a P/E/G ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 0.72.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.48 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $6.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.82% and a return on equity of 31.24%. AutoNation’s revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.26 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that AutoNation will post 21.69 EPS for the current year.

About AutoNation

AutoNation, Inc is a leading automotive retailer in the United States. The company sells new and used vehicles through a network of franchised dealerships and provides automotive services including vehicle financing, insurance products, maintenance, repair, parts, and collision-repair services.

In addition to its manufacturer-branded dealerships, AutoNation operates AutoNation USA locations focused primarily on used vehicles and offers digital tools that allow customers to research, purchase, finance, and service vehicles online.