Brokerages Set AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) PT at $223.25

Key Points

• AutoNation, Inc. has received an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from nine analysts, with a twelve-month target price averaging $223.25.
• Recent price target adjustments from analysts include Guggenheim lowering theirs from $230.00 to $228.00 and Wells Fargo raising theirs from $209.00 to $221.00.
• AutoNation reported $5.46 EPS for the last quarter, exceeding expectations and showing a revenue increase of 7.6% year-over-year.

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the nine research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, four have assigned a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $223.25.

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on AN shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 10th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 16th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $220.00 target price (up previously from $195.00) on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on AutoNation from $209.00 to $221.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th.

AutoNation Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of NYSE:AN traded up $3.45 on Friday, reaching $210.63. The company had a trading volume of 58,539 shares, compared to its average volume of 482,106. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.94 billion, a PE ratio of 13.21, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $200.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is $184.98. AutoNation has a 52-week low of $148.33 and a 52-week high of $217.40.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 25th. The company reported $5.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.70 by $0.76. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.12% and a net margin of 2.31%. The business had revenue of $6.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.77 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.99 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that AutoNation will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC grew its stake in AutoNation by 50.3% during the 4th quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC now owns 1,461,213 shares of the company's stock worth $248,172,000 after purchasing an additional 488,904 shares in the last quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. raised its holdings 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 valued at $97,658,000 after acquiring an additional 465,000 shares in the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. grew its holdings in AutoNation by 63.0% during the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 1,104,934 shares of the company's stock worth $187,662,000 after acquiring an additional 426,882 shares in the last quarter. Cartenna Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter worth $56,831,000. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation during the second quarter worth $62,613,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.