AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the nine analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $209.88.

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on AN. 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 report on Thursday, March 27th. Cfra Research raised shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 16th. Guggenheim dropped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 10th.

AutoNation Stock Performance

NYSE AN traded up $2.22 on Monday, hitting $198.98. The stock had a trading volume of 388,345 shares, compared to its average volume of 462,545. AutoNation has a one year low of $148.33 and a one year high of $217.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.72. The stock has a market cap of $7.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.99. The company's 50-day moving average is $194.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $182.30.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.35 by $0.33. The firm had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.53 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.51% and a return on equity of 30.08%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.49 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that AutoNation will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 50.3% in the 4th quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC now owns 1,461,213 shares of the company's stock worth $248,172,000 after buying an additional 488,904 shares during the last quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. boosted its stake in AutoNation by 422.7% in the fourth quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 575,000 shares of the company's stock worth $97,658,000 after buying an additional 465,000 shares in the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 63.0% during the fourth quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 1,104,934 shares of the company's stock valued at $187,662,000 after purchasing an additional 426,882 shares during the period. Cartenna Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $56,831,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 144.6% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 416,167 shares of the company's stock valued at $65,950,000 after purchasing an additional 245,994 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

About AutoNation

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.