AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Price Target Raised to $200.00 at Stephens

Key Points

• Stephens has raised its price target for AutoNation (NYSE:AN) from $190.00 to $200.00, indicating a potential upside of 1.82% from its current price.
• The company's most recent quarterly earnings showed $5.46 earnings per share, which surpassed analyst expectations of $4.70.
• Market analysts have varied ratings on AutoNation, with a consensus of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $211.38.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by research analysts at Stephens from $190.00 to $200.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "equal weight" rating on the stock. Stephens' price target indicates a potential upside of 4.94% from the company's previous close.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Guggenheim dropped their price target on AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Bank of America raised their price target on AutoNation from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 16th. Wall Street Zen raised AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 10th. Citigroup upgraded AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Cfra Research upgraded AutoNation to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $211.38.

AutoNation Trading Down 1.1%

AN stock traded down $2.06 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $190.58. The company had a trading volume of 370,782 shares, compared to its average volume of 541,365. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84. AutoNation has a 52 week low of $148.33 and a 52 week high of $217.40. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $197.09 and its 200 day moving average price is $183.85. The stock has a market cap of $7.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.94, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.89.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 25th. The company reported $5.46 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.77 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.99 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that AutoNation will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AN. Curat Global LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% during the 4th 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. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 45.3% during the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 375 shares of the company's stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 81.1% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 460 shares of the company's stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.