FY2025 EPS Estimates for AutoNation Increased by Analyst

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research lifted their FY2025 EPS estimates for AutoNation in a research note issued to investors on Monday, January 12th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will earn $19.94 per share for the year, up from their previous forecast of $19.91. The consensus estimate for AutoNation’s current full-year earnings is $18.15 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for AutoNation’s Q4 2025 earnings at $4.79 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $4.87 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $5.35 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $5.48 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $5.20 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $20.90 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $5.97 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $6.16 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $6.74 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $24.06 EPS.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Evercore ISI increased their target price on AutoNation from $240.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on AutoNation from $225.00 to $233.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Barclays started coverage on shares of AutoNation in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $250.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of AutoNation from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $244.22.

AutoNation Stock Down 1.7%

NYSE:AN opened at $212.67 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.79. The company has a market capitalization of $7.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.51 and a beta of 0.88. AutoNation has a one year low of $148.33 and a one year high of $228.92. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $206.95 and a 200 day simple moving average of $209.49.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $5.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.85 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $7.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.74 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.38% and a return on equity of 31.84%. The company’s revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS.

AutoNation announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Friday, October 31st that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase up to 13.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in AutoNation during the third quarter worth about $1,401,000. Paradigm Asset Management Co. LLC bought a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,251,000. Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 873.3% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 4,886 shares of the company’s stock worth $971,000 after purchasing an additional 4,384 shares during the last quarter. Davis Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,024,000. Finally, 111 Capital acquired a new stake in AutoNation during the second quarter valued at approximately $208,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Company Profile

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.