AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Downgraded by StockNews.com to Hold

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Friday.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on AN. Stephens upped their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Evercore ISI raised their price target on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Citigroup upgraded shares of AutoNation to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 21st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, AutoNation presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $200.75.

AutoNation Stock Up 0.9 %

NYSE AN opened at $176.54 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $168.03 and a 200-day moving average price of $173.01. AutoNation has a one year low of $148.33 and a one year high of $198.50. The company has a market capitalization of $6.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.42, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.74.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.35 by $0.33. The business had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.53 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. The business’s revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.49 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that AutoNation will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 581.8% during the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 150 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares during the period. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. grew its stake in AutoNation by 150.8% in the fourth quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Curat Global LLC purchased a new position in AutoNation during the 1st quarter worth $36,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in AutoNation by 25.5% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 81.1% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 460 shares of the company’s stock worth $74,000 after buying an additional 206 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

About AutoNation

AutoNation, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as an automotive retailer in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Domestic, Import, and Premium Luxury. It offers a range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicles; and parts and services, such as automotive repair and maintenance, and wholesale parts and collision services.