Q4 2024 EPS Estimates for AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Increased by Analyst

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q4 2024 EPS estimates for shares of AutoNation in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, August 14th. Zacks Research analyst R. Singhi now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of $4.44 for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $4.42. The consensus estimate for AutoNation’s current full-year earnings is $17.80 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for AutoNation’s Q1 2025 earnings at $4.95 EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at $4.05 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $5.91 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $20.26 EPS and Q1 2026 earnings at $4.83 EPS.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on AN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, June 10th. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $169.00 to $187.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 17th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $164.00 to $187.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $187.71.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AN opened at $173.61 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $168.58 and its 200-day moving average price is $161.69. AutoNation has a twelve month low of $123.81 and a twelve month high of $197.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.99 billion, a PE ratio of 8.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.34 and a beta of 1.21.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $3.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.31 by ($0.32). AutoNation had a return on equity of 36.50% and a net margin of 2.93%. The business had revenue of $6.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.72 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $6.29 EPS. AutoNation’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis.

AutoNation declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Friday, April 26th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to purchase up to 14.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at AutoNation

In other news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 23,703 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.29, for a total transaction of $4,083,789.87. Following the sale, the insider now owns 3,980,467 shares in the company, valued at $685,794,659.43. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 23,703 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.29, for a total value of $4,083,789.87. Following the sale, the insider now owns 3,980,467 shares in the company, valued at $685,794,659.43. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 100,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.21, for a total value of $17,621,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 3,880,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $683,777,090.07. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 177,265 shares of company stock worth $32,066,359. Insiders own 0.74% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,222,000. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System raised its stake in AutoNation by 54.1% in the 1st quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 51,743 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,568,000 after purchasing an additional 18,157 shares during the last quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC acquired a new position in AutoNation in the 1st quarter valued at $1,484,000. Sanders Morris Harris LLC acquired a new position in AutoNation in the 1st quarter valued at $828,000. Finally, Bridgewater Associates LP raised its stake in AutoNation by 20.5% in the 4th quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP now owns 107,558 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,153,000 after purchasing an additional 18,278 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

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.