Q1 Earnings Forecast for AutoNation Issued By Zacks Research

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q1 2028 EPS estimates for shares of AutoNation in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, May 15th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will post earnings of $6.07 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $5.51. The consensus estimate for AutoNation’s current full-year earnings is $21.24 per share.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.71 by ($0.02). AutoNation had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The firm had revenue of $6.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.65 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.68 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on AN. Bank of America started coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Citigroup boosted their target price on AutoNation from $269.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Stephens boosted their target price on AutoNation from $228.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $240.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on AutoNation from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoNation presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $248.33.

AutoNation Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of AN stock opened at $182.18 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $196.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $202.73. AutoNation has a twelve month low of $176.25 and a twelve month high of $228.92. The company has a market capitalization of $6.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.87, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other AutoNation news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total value of $512,275.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,456 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $298,348.96. This trade represents a 63.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AN. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in AutoNation by 8.9% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 18,953 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,070,000 after buying an additional 1,551 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the first quarter worth $265,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in AutoNation by 10.9% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 98,610 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,967,000 after buying an additional 9,656 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth increased its position in AutoNation by 17.3% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,472 shares of the company’s stock worth $562,000 after buying an additional 511 shares during the period. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in AutoNation by 37.4% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.