Vanguard Group Inc. Acquires 2,577 Shares of AutoNation, Inc. $AN

Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) by 0.1% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 3,179,203 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,577 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 0.09% of AutoNation worth $656,442,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in AutoNation during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 355.3% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Employees Retirement System of Texas bought a new stake in AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at $48,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on AN shares. Bank of America started coverage on AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut AutoNation from a “buy (b)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on AutoNation from $230.00 to $207.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Stephens lifted their target price on AutoNation from $228.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on AutoNation from $280.00 to $269.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $244.33.

Key Stories Impacting AutoNation

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoNation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: After-sales strength is a major offset to soft vehicle demand — deferred car purchases are driving higher maintenance, parts and finance revenue, and AutoNation reported roughly $1.21 billion in gross profit for Q1, supporting margins and cash generation. AutoNation Says Deferred Car Buying Is Feeding Its After-Sales Boom
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings per share held up — AN reported $4.69 EPS, topping some street estimates and showing stability vs. last year; the company also reported strong return on equity (31.7%), which underpins profitability metrics investors watch. AutoNation Q1 press release / transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Shareholders approved the 2026 Employee Equity & Incentive Plan and director slate — governance update that may affect compensation/dilution dynamics but is not an immediate earnings driver. AutoNation Shareholders Approve 2026 Equity Plan and Directors
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts revised forecasts into the print with some expecting lower Q1 results; that tempered expectations ahead of the call and likely amplified volatility on the release. AutoNation Likely To Report Lower Q1 Earnings; These Most Accurate Analysts Revise Forecasts Ahead Of Earnings Call
• Negative Sentiment: Top-line miss and revenue weakness — Q1 revenue was $6.55B versus consensus ~ $6.65B and was down ~2.1% year-over-year, signaling softer vehicle sales that could limit near-term growth and valuation support. AutoNation (AN) Q1 Earnings and Revenues Miss Estimates

AutoNation Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of AN stock opened at $209.52 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $7.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.35, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.79. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $196.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $203.67. 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, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $173.26 and a fifty-two week high of $228.92.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.71 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $6.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.65 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.76% and a net margin of 2.47%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.68 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.31 earnings per share for the current 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.