AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at UBS Group

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) was upgraded by stock analysts at UBS Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

AN has been the topic of a number of other reports. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $240.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Stephens upped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $228.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $246.90.

AutoNation Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of NYSE:AN opened at $194.93 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.52 billion, a PE ratio of 10.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.79. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $196.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $202.36. AutoNation has a 1 year low of $176.62 and a 1 year high of $228.92.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.71 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $6.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.65 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 2.47%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.68 earnings per share. Analysts predict that AutoNation will post 21.24 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoNation

In related news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total transaction of $512,275.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,456 shares in the company, valued at approximately $298,348.96. This represents a 63.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 9,494 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,960,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,668 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,170,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 0.9% in the third quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 6,288 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,376,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 13.3% in the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 519 shares of the company’s stock valued at $114,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Crestwood Advisors Group LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 3.2% in the third quarter. Crestwood Advisors Group LLC now owns 2,076 shares of the company’s stock valued at $454,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.