AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the ten brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $248.3333.

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on AN shares. Stephens raised their price target on AutoNation from $228.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on AutoNation from $207.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on AutoNation from $269.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings raised AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $240.00 price objective on shares of AutoNation in a report on Thursday, May 7th.

AutoNation Stock Performance

NYSE AN opened at $190.20 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. AutoNation has a 52-week low of $176.25 and a 52-week high of $228.92. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $195.50 and its 200 day moving average price is $202.34. The firm has a market cap of $6.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.79.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.71 by ($0.02). AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 2.47%.The company had revenue of $6.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.65 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.68 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that AutoNation will post 21.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other AutoNation news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total value of $512,275.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 1,456 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $298,348.96. The trade was a 63.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Simcoe Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $18,988,000. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,140,000. 44 Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,378,000. Emmett Investment Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $3,496,000. Finally, Dynasty Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 65.2% during the 3rd quarter. Dynasty Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,991 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,529,000 after acquiring an additional 2,759 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.