AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Price Target Raised to $232.00

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) had its target price boosted by Stephens from $220.00 to $232.00 in a research report report published on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the stock.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on AN. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on AutoNation from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $255.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Citigroup increased their target price on AutoNation from $287.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $248.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, AutoNation has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $250.00.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of AutoNation stock opened at $208.73 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $198.91 and its 200 day moving average is $198.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.90 billion, a PE ratio of 9.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.71. AutoNation has a 1 year low of $176.62 and a 1 year high of $235.81. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.48 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $6.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.82% and a return on equity of 31.24%. The firm’s revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.26 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that AutoNation will post 21.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $198,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 7,989 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,757,580. This trade represents a 10.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Kendall Capital Management bought a new position in shares of AutoNation during the second quarter worth about $1,423,000. Commerce Bank bought a new stake in AutoNation in the second quarter valued at approximately $203,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. bought a new stake in AutoNation in the second quarter valued at approximately $477,000. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in AutoNation during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,540,000. Finally, Evolve Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in AutoNation during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $3,601,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

About AutoNation

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.