AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Price Target Raised to $182.00

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) had its price target upped by Morgan Stanley from $175.00 to $182.00 in a research note published on Monday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the stock.

AN has been the subject of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded AutoNation from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Barclays reduced their target price on AutoNation from $230.00 to $220.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of AutoNation from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $185.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, November 4th. Stephens upped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on shares of AutoNation from $255.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 3rd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $228.20.

AutoNation Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of AutoNation stock opened at $186.97 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $5.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.01, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a current ratio of 0.77. AutoNation has a one year low of $151.82 and a one year high of $235.81. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $174.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $192.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its 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. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.63% and a return on equity of 31.18%. The company had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.93 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $5.01 EPS. The business’s revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that AutoNation will post 20.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Private Advisor Group LLC boosted its stake in AutoNation by 42.4% in the 3rd quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 2,084 shares of the company’s stock worth $328,000 after buying an additional 621 shares during the last quarter. Ieq Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 52.8% in the third quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 39,895 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,281,000 after acquiring an additional 13,793 shares during the last quarter. Focus Advisor Solutions LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 53.4% in the third quarter. Focus Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 7,974 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,255,000 after acquiring an additional 2,776 shares during the last quarter. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the third quarter worth approximately $2,394,000. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC grew its holdings in AutoNation by 8.4% in the third quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 3,179 shares of the company’s stock valued at $501,000 after purchasing an additional 247 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Company Profile

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.