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

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on AN. Guggenheim dropped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Cfra Research raised shares of AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $205.75.

AutoNation Stock Up 0.2%

The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $187.05 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $179.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.72. The company has a market capitalization of $8.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.99.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Curat Global LLC purchased a new stake in AutoNation in the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position 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 increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% during 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 during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 81.1% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 460 shares of the company's stock valued at $74,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares during the period. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 77.1% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 494 shares of the company's stock worth $84,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company's stock.

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.