Q1 Earnings Forecast for AutoNation Issued By Zacks Research

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) – Analysts at Zacks Research boosted their Q1 2027 earnings estimates for AutoNation in a research note issued to investors on Monday, January 12th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $5.19 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $5.04. The consensus estimate for AutoNation’s current full-year earnings is $18.15 per share.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $5.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.85 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $7.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.74 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.84% and a net margin of 2.38%.AutoNation’s revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.02 earnings per share.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on AutoNation from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Barclays began coverage on shares of AutoNation in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $250.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $225.00 to $233.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $244.22.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of AN stock opened at $213.37 on Wednesday. AutoNation has a twelve month low of $148.33 and a twelve month high of $228.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $207.33 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $209.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.55 and a beta of 0.88.

AutoNation announced that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Friday, October 31st that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to buy up to 13.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. HM Payson & Co. bought a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in AutoNation in the third quarter worth $37,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in AutoNation by 355.3% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 173 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter worth $48,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 2,477.8% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 232 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key AutoNation News

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoNation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised EPS estimates across multiple quarters and fiscal years — including Q1–Q4 2026 increases, FY2026 to $20.90 (from $20.55) and FY2027 to $24.06 (from $23.16). They also lifted a string of quarterly forecasts (Q2–Q4 2026, Q2–Q4 2027 and Q3 2026/2027), and raised Q4 2027 to $6.74. These upward revisions signal stronger expected earnings momentum and are the primary catalyst for the stock moving higher today.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published a broader piece evaluating whether value investors should buy AutoNation, highlighting its Zacks Rank approach (focus on earnings?estimate revisions and value/growth trends). The article may draw additional investor interest but is more analytical than a direct catalyst. Should Value Investors Buy AutoNation (AN) Stock?

AutoNation Company Profile

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.