AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Bank of America Analyst Says

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by research analysts at Bank of America from $225.00 to $255.00 in a research note issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the stock. Bank of America's target price suggests a potential upside of 32.44% from the company's current price.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on AN. Citigroup raised AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective 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. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 21st. Wall Street Zen upgraded AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 10th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their target price on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Three research 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 MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $205.75.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of AN traded up $2.07 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $192.54. 413,305 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 463,497. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $180.20 and a 200-day simple moving average of $177.43. The company has a market capitalization of $7.26 billion, a PE ratio of 11.39, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.72, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.22. AutoNation has a one year low of $148.33 and a one year high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 2.51% and a return on equity of 30.08%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.49 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that AutoNation will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of AN. Curat Global LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in AutoNation by 37.4% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in AutoNation by 25.5% during the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company's stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in AutoNation by 77.1% during 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. 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.