AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Short Interest Update

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,540,000 shares, a growth of 29.4% from the April 30th total of 1,190,000 shares. Approximately 5.6% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 525,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.9 days.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of AutoNation stock traded up $2.30 on Thursday, reaching $185.57. The company's stock had a trading volume of 337,957 shares, compared to its average volume of 458,150. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The company has a market capitalization of $7.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.95, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.00. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $174.63 and a 200-day moving average price of $176.23. AutoNation has a 52-week low of $148.33 and a 52-week high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.35 by $0.33. The company had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.53 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. The firm's revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.49 EPS. Analysts expect that AutoNation will post 18.15 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in AutoNation by 150.8% in the 4th quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Curat Global LLC purchased a new stake in AutoNation during the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position 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 acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 81.1% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 460 shares of the company's stock valued at $74,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AN has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup upgraded AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of 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 shares of AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 10th. Finally, Stephens increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoNation has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $200.75.

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.