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

Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seven research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $187.71.

A number of analysts have recently commented on AN shares. Bank of America upped their price target on AutoNation from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, June 10th. Guggenheim boosted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $169.00 to $187.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 17th. Wells Fargo & Company upped 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, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on AutoNation from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 6th.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of AN stock opened at $165.80 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $171.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $163.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.78. AutoNation has a 52-week low of $123.81 and a 52-week high of $197.18. The stock has a market cap of $6.58 billion, a PE ratio of 7.86, a PEG ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 1.20.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $3.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.31 by ($0.32). The company had revenue of $6.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.72 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 36.50% and a net margin of 2.93%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $6.29 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that AutoNation will post 17.7 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at AutoNation

In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 53,562 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.45, for a total transaction of $10,361,568.90. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,825,838 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $740,108,361.10. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 53,562 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.45, for a total transaction of $10,361,568.90. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,825,838 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $740,108,361.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, 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 approximately $685,794,659.43. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 216,959 shares of company stock valued at $39,346,744. Corporate 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 company. Boston Partners bought a new stake in AutoNation in the first quarter valued at approximately $170,270,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in AutoNation during the 4th quarter valued at $42,748,000. Eminence Capital LP boosted its position in AutoNation by 84.4% during the fourth quarter. Eminence Capital LP now owns 261,940 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,338,000 after purchasing an additional 119,866 shares during the period. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the second quarter valued at $15,832,000. Finally, Lodge Hill Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of AutoNation in the second quarter valued at about $15,141,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.