AutoNation’s (AN) Buy Rating Reaffirmed at Guggenheim

Guggenheim reiterated their buy rating on shares of AutoNation (NYSE:AN) in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on AN. Stephens raised their price target on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, AutoNation presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $199.71.

AutoNation Stock Down 1.7 %

Shares of AN opened at $191.77 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $179.12 and its 200 day moving average is $173.37. The company has a market capitalization of $7.60 billion, a PE ratio of 11.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.71 and a beta of 1.25. AutoNation has a 12-month low of $136.35 and a 12-month high of $198.50. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a return on equity of 32.01% and a net margin of 2.74%. Research analysts expect that AutoNation will post 16.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 581.8% in the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 150 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the period. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 150.8% during the 4th quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 403.6% during the 3rd quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 282 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 54.0% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 311 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 77.1% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 494 shares of the company’s stock worth $84,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.