AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Free Report) - Analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of AutoNation in a research note issued to investors on Friday, August 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $5.58 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $5.49. The consensus estimate for AutoNation's current full-year earnings is $21.69 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for AutoNation's Q4 2026 earnings at $5.69 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $21.52 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $5.28 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $5.95 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $6.24 EPS and Q2 2028 earnings at $6.53 EPS.
Several other brokerages have also weighed in on AN. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $248.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Barclays upped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Argus increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $241.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Northcoast Research upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $240.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $250.00.
Get Our Latest Analysis on AutoNation
AutoNation Trading Down 0.1%
AN stock opened at $209.29 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.18. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $199.73 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $198.10. AutoNation has a one year low of $176.62 and a one year high of $235.81. The stock has a market cap of $6.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.71.
AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $5.48 by $0.08. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.24% and a net margin of 2.82%.The business had revenue of $6.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.26 EPS. The firm's revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in AutoNation by 8.9% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 18,953 shares of the company's stock worth $3,070,000 after acquiring an additional 1,551 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association bought a new stake in AutoNation in the 1st quarter valued at about $265,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 10.9% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 98,610 shares of the company's stock valued at $15,967,000 after purchasing an additional 9,656 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 17.3% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,472 shares of the company's stock worth $562,000 after purchasing an additional 511 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew 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 worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Insider Buying and Selling at AutoNation
In other news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $198,000.00. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.
AutoNation Company Profile
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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.
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