Q2 Earnings Forecast for AutoNation Issued By Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research has increased its Q2 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimate for AutoNation to $5.14, up from a previous forecast of $4.86, while the full-year earnings estimate remains at $18.15 per share.
• Multiple analysts have provided ratings for AutoNation, with two giving a Strong Buy rating and a consensus average price target of $222.63, reflecting ongoing investor interest.
• AutoNation's recent quarterly earnings showed a strong performance with an EPS of $5.46, surpassing expectations, and a revenue increase of 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q2 2026 earnings per share estimates for AutoNation in a research report issued on Thursday, September 18th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will post earnings of $5.14 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $4.86. The consensus estimate for AutoNation's current full-year earnings is $18.15 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for AutoNation's Q3 2026 earnings at $4.96 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $5.02 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $19.94 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $5.67 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $22.35 EPS.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 25th. The company reported $5.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.70 by $0.76. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.12% and a net margin of 2.31%.The company had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.77 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.99 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on AN. Wall Street Zen cut AutoNation from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, September 13th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on AutoNation from $195.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 14th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on AutoNation from $209.00 to $221.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Bank of America cut their price target on AutoNation from $255.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 10th. Finally, Guggenheim cut their price target on AutoNation from $230.00 to $228.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $222.63.

AutoNation Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of AutoNation stock traded up $2.55 on Friday, hitting $221.89. The stock had a trading volume of 56,593 shares, compared to its average volume of 475,322. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $209.90 and a 200 day moving average of $191.05. AutoNation has a twelve month low of $148.33 and a twelve month high of $228.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.90, a PEG ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.88.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 7.2% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,256,308 shares of the company's stock valued at $527,261,000 after acquiring an additional 219,474 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 8.3% during the 1st quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,964,187 shares of the company's stock valued at $318,749,000 after acquiring an additional 149,959 shares during the last quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 7.5% during the 2nd quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC now owns 1,214,510 shares of the company's stock valued at $241,262,000 after acquiring an additional 84,455 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 20.6% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 815,931 shares of the company's stock valued at $162,085,000 after acquiring an additional 139,363 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 51.8% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 631,744 shares of the company's stock valued at $125,439,000 after acquiring an additional 215,577 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

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.