AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Downgraded to Hold Rating by StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on AN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 21st. Citigroup upgraded AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Guggenheim reduced their price target on shares of AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price target on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $200.75.

AutoNation Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE AN traded down $1.04 during trading on Friday, reaching $175.44. The company had a trading volume of 509,536 shares, compared to its average volume of 455,469. The company's fifty day moving average price is $167.68 and its 200-day moving average price is $173.13. The stock has a market cap of $6.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.36, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. AutoNation has a 12 month low of $148.33 and a 12 month high of $198.50.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AN. Boston Partners lifted its holdings in AutoNation by 12.6% in the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,814,228 shares of the company's stock worth $309,312,000 after acquiring an additional 203,335 shares during the last quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 50.3% during the 4th quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC now owns 1,461,213 shares of the company's stock valued at $248,172,000 after purchasing an additional 488,904 shares in the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its position 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 worth $187,662,000 after purchasing an additional 426,882 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its stake in AutoNation by 23.3% in the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 851,870 shares of the company's stock worth $144,682,000 after purchasing an additional 160,794 shares during the period. Finally, Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. boosted its position in AutoNation by 422.7% during the 4th quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 575,000 shares of the company's stock worth $97,658,000 after acquiring an additional 465,000 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is 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.