AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Sets New 52-Week High - What's Next?

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $205.67 and last traded at $203.76, with a volume of 321863 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $198.65.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AN has been the topic of several recent research reports. Guggenheim cut their target price on AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Citigroup raised AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Cfra Research raised shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $205.75.

AutoNation Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $8.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.99. The stock's 50-day moving average is $187.83 and its 200-day moving average is $179.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.72.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.35 by $0.33. The company had revenue of $6.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.53 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.51% and a return on equity of 30.08%. The business's revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.49 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% in the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in AutoNation by 37.4% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in AutoNation by 0.9% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 7,580 shares of the company's stock worth $1,227,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 11,171 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,897,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the company's stock valued at $657,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

About AutoNation

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.