AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Receives $248.67 Consensus Target Price from Brokerages

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eleven research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $248.6667.

Several analysts have recently weighed in on AN shares. Weiss Ratings cut AutoNation from a “buy (b)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $233.00 to $238.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $235.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, January 16th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Stephens raised their price target on shares of AutoNation from $228.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AN. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 9,494 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,960,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,668 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,170,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 0.9% in the third quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 6,288 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,376,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 13.3% in the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 519 shares of the company’s stock valued at $114,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Crestwood Advisors Group LLC increased its position in AutoNation by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. Crestwood Advisors Group LLC now owns 2,076 shares of the company’s stock valued at $454,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Stock Performance

NYSE AN opened at $193.03 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $199.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $206.57. The stock has a market cap of $6.63 billion, a PE ratio of 11.32 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.39, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 0.84. AutoNation has a fifty-two week low of $148.33 and a fifty-two week high of $228.92.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 6th. The company reported $5.08 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.91 by $0.17. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.69% and a net margin of 2.35%.The company had revenue of $6.93 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.21 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.97 EPS. AutoNation’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that AutoNation will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.