AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Receives $246.18 Consensus Price Target from Brokerages

Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $248.3636.

A number of research firms have commented on AN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $235.00 to $210.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $248.00 price objective on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Monday. Northcoast Research upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $240.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $255.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Monday.

AutoNation Price Performance

NYSE:AN opened at $211.26 on Friday. AutoNation has a 12-month low of $176.62 and a 12-month high of $235.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.79, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.71. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $197.39 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $198.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.48 by $0.08. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.24% and a net margin of 2.82%.The company had revenue of $6.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.26 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that AutoNation will post 21.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AN. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 27.1% during the fourth quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 57,269 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,825,000 after purchasing an additional 12,210 shares during the period. WINTON GROUP Ltd bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $6,443,000. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 180.1% in the fourth quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 13,206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,727,000 after buying an additional 8,491 shares during the period. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new stake in AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth approximately $2,247,000. Finally, Evolve Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth approximately $4,077,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

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.