AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Hits New 1-Year Low – Time to Sell?

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) shares hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday. The company traded as low as $152.39 and last traded at $153.26, with a volume of 23,617 shares. The stock had previously closed at $155.32.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Argus lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $241.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Stephens lifted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings lowered AutoNation from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. Citigroup cut their target price on AutoNation from $290.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Finally, Northcoast Research upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $240.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, AutoNation presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $230.00.

AutoNation Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $5.04 billion, a PE ratio of 7.06, a P/E/G ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.18. The business’s 50 day moving average is $188.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $194.04.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.48 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $6.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.82% and a return on equity of 31.24%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.26 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 21.42 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other AutoNation news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $198,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 7,989 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,757,580. The trade was a 10.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Redwood Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Redwood Investment Management LLC now owns 5,372 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,049,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Davis Capital Management boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 0.7% during the third quarter. Davis Capital Management now owns 9,712 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,529,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 33.0% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 306 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its holdings in AutoNation by 73.9% in the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 193 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in AutoNation by 14.3% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 744 shares of the company’s stock worth $117,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Company Profile

AutoNation, Inc is an automotive retailer headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The company sells new and used vehicles through a network of franchised dealerships representing a range of major automotive brands, as well as through digital retailing channels.

In addition to vehicle sales, AutoNation provides automotive maintenance and repair, parts, collision repair, vehicle protection products, financing assistance and other related services. Its operations support customers throughout the vehicle ownership cycle, from purchase and financing to routine service and repairs.

The company traces its origins to Republic Industries, which entered the automotive retail business in the 1990s and adopted the AutoNation name in 1998.