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

Key Points

• Analysts hold a “Moderate Buy” consensus on AutoNation, with 10 buy ratings and two holds among 12 analysts. The average 12-month price target is $246.18, above the stock’s reported $216.67 price.
• AutoNation narrowly missed quarterly expectations, reporting $4.69 EPS versus $4.71 expected and revenue of $6.55 billion versus $6.65 billion expected; revenue declined 2.1% year over year.
• Institutional investors own a significant 94.62% of the company, while insider ownership stands at 1.40%; the company’s chief accounting officer recently sold 2,500 shares for approximately $512,275.

Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twelve analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $246.1818.

AN has been the subject of several analyst reports. Northcoast Research upgraded AutoNation from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $240.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. UBS Group began coverage on AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. They set a "buy" rating and a $234.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $208.00 to $202.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other AutoNation news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total transaction of $512,275.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 1,456 shares of the company's stock, valued at $298,348.96. The trade was a 63.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth $41,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas bought a new stake in AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at $48,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 37.4% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in AutoNation by 49.7% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 259 shares of the company's stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the 4th quarter worth $57,000. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AN opened at $216.67 on Friday. AutoNation has a fifty-two week low of $176.62 and a fifty-two week high of $235.81. The business has a 50-day moving average of $195.17 and a two-hundred day moving average of $198.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.74, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.20.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.71 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $6.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.65 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 2.47%.The business's revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.68 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that AutoNation will post 21.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.

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