AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Stock Has Consensus Target Price of $230.00 According to Brokerages

Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) have been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the thirteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $230.00.

AN has been the subject of several analyst reports. Barclays decreased their price objective on AutoNation from $260.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Friday, October 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of AutoNation from $210.00 to $185.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Northcoast Research upgraded AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $240.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $202.00 to $224.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoNation

In related news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $198,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 7,989 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,757,580. This trade represents a 10.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in AutoNation by 1.0% in the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 10,612 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,671,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Integrated Advisors Network LLC increased its stake in AutoNation by 7.2% in the third quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 1,909 shares of the company’s stock valued at $301,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter worth $762,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 37.0% during the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 1,976 shares of the company’s stock worth $326,000 after purchasing an additional 534 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 90.3% during the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 30,771 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,845,000 after purchasing an additional 14,600 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.9%

NYSE AN opened at $161.82 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 0.81. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $183.41 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $192.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a current ratio of 0.78. AutoNation has a one year low of $151.82 and a one year high of $235.81.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.48 by $0.08. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.82% and a return on equity of 31.24%. The business had revenue of $6.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.26 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that AutoNation will post 21.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About AutoNation

AutoNation, Inc is a U.S.-based automotive retailer that sells new and used vehicles through a network of dealerships and online sales channels. The company represents a range of domestic, import and luxury automotive brands, offering passenger cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles.

In addition to vehicle sales, AutoNation provides automotive maintenance and repair, parts, collision-repair services, vehicle protection products and financing options. Its retail operations include traditional dealerships as well as AutoNation USA locations, which focus primarily on used vehicles and related services.

Founded in 1996 as Republic Industries, the company adopted the AutoNation name as it developed its automotive retail business.