AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is favorable: AutoNation has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, with 10 buys and two holds among 12 analysts. The average 12-month price target is $250, above the reported share price of $195.27.
• Quarterly earnings slightly exceeded expectations: AutoNation reported $5.56 in earnings per share versus the $5.48 consensus estimate, while revenue totaled $6.93 billion, down 0.6% year over year and below estimates of $7 billion.
• Institutional ownership remains high: Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company, while a director recently sold 900 shares for $198,000; insiders retain a 1.40% ownership stake.

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) has received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the twelve brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $250.00.

AN has been the topic of several research reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of AutoNation from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Argus increased their target price on AutoNation from $241.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Citigroup increased their target price on AutoNation from $287.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Seaport Research Partners reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $255.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $198,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 7,989 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,757,580. This trade represents a 10.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AN. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 27.1% in the 4th quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 57,269 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,825,000 after acquiring an additional 12,210 shares during the period. WINTON GROUP Ltd bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at about $6,443,000. Evolve Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at about $4,077,000. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in AutoNation by 180.1% in the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 13,206 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,727,000 after purchasing an additional 8,491 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,247,000. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AN stock opened at $195.27 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a current ratio of 0.78. The company has a market capitalization of $6.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.71. The company's 50 day moving average price is $200.64 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $197.69. AutoNation has a 52 week low of $176.62 and a 52 week high of $235.81.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $5.48 by $0.08. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.82% and a return on equity of 31.24%. The firm had revenue of $6.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.26 earnings per share. The business's revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that AutoNation will post 21.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About AutoNation

AutoNation, Inc is the largest automotive retailer in the United States, operating a network of franchised new vehicle dealerships, pre-owned vehicle superstores and collision-repair centers. The company offers a comprehensive range of automotive products and services, including the sale of new cars and light trucks from leading manufacturers, certified pre-owned vehicles and a wide selection of used models. In addition to retail vehicle sales, AutoNation provides financing, insurance and extended service contracts through its in-house financial services division, as well as genuine and aftermarket parts, factory-recommended maintenance and collision-repair services.

Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, AutoNation was founded in 1996 by entrepreneur H.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source