Zacks Research Has Optimistic View of AutoNation Q3 Earnings

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q3 2026 EPS estimates for AutoNation in a research note issued on Friday, August 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will earn $5.58 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast 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.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $287.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on AutoNation from $235.00 to $210.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Stephens raised their price target on AutoNation from $220.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Northcoast Research raised AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $240.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $250.00.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AN stock opened at $204.93 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $200.12 and its 200-day moving average price is $198.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a current ratio of 0.78. AutoNation has a one year low of $176.62 and a one year high of $235.81. The firm has a market cap of $6.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.49, a P/E/G ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.71.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.48 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $6.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.82% and a return on equity of 31.24%. AutoNation’s revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.26 earnings per share.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $198,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in AutoNation by 192,434.0% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 4,424,431 shares of the company’s stock worth $913,557,000 after buying an additional 4,422,133 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the second quarter worth $438,689,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter worth $69,319,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 260.2% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 333,975 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,064,000 after acquiring an additional 241,265 shares during the period. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 51.8% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 631,744 shares of the company’s stock worth $125,439,000 after acquiring an additional 215,577 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About AutoNation

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.