AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Price Target Raised to $205.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Key Points

• JPMorgan Chase & Co. has increased AutoNation's price target from $185.00 to $205.00, indicating a potential upside of 8.19% from the current price.
• Various analysts have given mixed ratings on AutoNation, with three firms rating it as "hold," five as "buy," and two as "strong buy," resulting in a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy."
• AutoNation reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $5.46, exceeding the consensus estimate, along with revenues of $6.97 billion which is a 7.6% year-over-year increase.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Free Report) had its price objective increased by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $185.00 to $205.00 in a research report report published on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Guggenheim reduced their target price on AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $209.00 to $221.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Citigroup raised AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Cfra Research upgraded AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $215.13.

AutoNation Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:AN traded down $0.18 on Tuesday, hitting $195.32. The company had a trading volume of 313,107 shares, compared to its average volume of 588,640. AutoNation has a 1 year low of $148.33 and a 1 year high of $217.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.24, a P/E/G ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.89. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $197.68 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $184.05. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. The firm had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.77 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 31.12%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.99 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate 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 stock. Curat Global LLC acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the first quarter worth approximately $36,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in 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 buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in AutoNation by 81.1% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 460 shares of the company's stock worth $74,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares during the period. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in AutoNation by 45.3% in the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 375 shares of the company's stock worth $74,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.