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

Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the nine analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $200.75.

AN has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Citigroup upgraded AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Wall Street Zen upgraded AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 27th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% in the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 327,165 shares of the company's stock valued at $55,566,000 after acquiring an additional 6,277 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter valued at $503,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter worth $38,136,000. Finally, Global X Japan Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 150.8% in the fourth quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Stock Up 0.7%

NYSE AN traded up $1.32 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $183.92. 453,302 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 459,646. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.74. The business's 50-day moving average is $173.49 and its 200-day moving average is $175.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.86, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.00. AutoNation has a twelve month low of $148.33 and a twelve month high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.35 by $0.33. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.48% and a net margin of 2.59%. The company had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.49 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that AutoNation will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

AutoNation Company Profile

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.