AutoNation, Inc. (AN) – What Are Researchers Thinking About This Stock?

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the thirteen research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $228.20.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on AN. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $248.00 to $213.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Argus lifted their price target on AutoNation from $241.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 3rd. Finally, Seaport Research Partners reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $255.00 price objective on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Monday, August 3rd.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Thomas A. Szlosek acquired 541 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 6th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $184.56 per share, for a total transaction of $99,846.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 21,166 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,906,396.96. This trade represents a 2.62% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Jacqueline A. Travisano acquired 530 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 5th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $185.29 per share, for a total transaction of $98,203.70. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 9,419 shares in the company, valued at $1,745,246.51. This represents a 5.96% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders bought 1,611 shares of company stock worth $298,005. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AN. Redwood Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in AutoNation by 1.1% during the first quarter. Redwood Investment Management LLC now owns 5,372 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,049,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the period. Davis Capital Management lifted its holdings in AutoNation by 0.7% in 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 period. Evergreen Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 1,620 shares of the company’s stock worth $255,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 33.0% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 306 shares of the company’s stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 73.9% during the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 193 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Trading Down 3.5%

Shares of AutoNation stock opened at $180.72 on Friday. AutoNation has a 1-year low of $151.82 and a 1-year high of $235.81. The stock has a market cap of $5.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.16, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.82. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $174.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $192.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.17.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $5.11 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.08 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.93 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.18% and a net margin of 2.63%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $5.01 EPS. Analysts predict that AutoNation will post 20.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About AutoNation

AutoNation, Inc. is a U.S. automotive retailer that sells new and used vehicles through a network of dealerships. Its stores offer vehicles from a range of manufacturers, along with related products and services. The company also provides vehicle maintenance and repair, parts, and collision-repair services. Its offerings include financing and insurance products, as well as online tools that support vehicle research and purchasing. Founded in 1996, AutoNation operates dealerships across the United States, with a presence concentrated in the Sun Belt.