AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) has received an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the seven brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $178.88.

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on AN shares. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of AutoNation from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and raised their price objective for the company from $117.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $142.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. StockNews.com lowered shares of AutoNation from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $153.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 29th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 100,000 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.26, for a total transaction of $16,126,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 4,167,270 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $672,013,960.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 100,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.26, for a total transaction of $16,126,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 4,167,270 shares in the company, valued at approximately $672,013,960.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 3,133 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $152.28, for a total transaction of $477,093.24. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 464 shares in the company, valued at $70,657.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 116,804 shares of company stock valued at $18,832,532 in the last 90 days. 0.74% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. First United Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Avalon Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Price Performance

AN traded down $0.70 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $168.59. The company had a trading volume of 519,569 shares, compared to its average volume of 446,575. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.79. The company has a market capitalization of $6.79 billion, a PE ratio of 7.99, a P/E/G ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.22. AutoNation has a twelve month low of $123.81 and a twelve month high of $182.08. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $161.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $149.00.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 26th. The company reported $4.49 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.45 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $6.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.49 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 3.41% and a return on equity of 42.44%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $6.05 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that AutoNation will post 18.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AutoNation declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Friday, April 26th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 14.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

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.