AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nine research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $200.75.

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Cfra Research raised AutoNation to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Citigroup upgraded AutoNation to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Stephens lifted their target price on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Guggenheim decreased their target price on AutoNation from $212.00 to $183.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd.

AutoNation Stock Performance

AutoNation stock opened at $179.77 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. AutoNation has a 1 year low of $148.33 and a 1 year high of $198.50. The company has a market cap of $6.78 billion, a PE ratio of 10.61, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.00. The company’s 50-day moving average is $167.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $173.51.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.35 by $0.33. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. The business had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.53 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.49 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that AutoNation will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its stake in AutoNation by 581.8% during the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 150 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 150.8% in the 4th quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Curat Global LLC bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $36,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% in 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 during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 81.1% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 460 shares of the company’s stock valued at $74,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. 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.