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

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) had its price target raised by analysts at Stephens from $220.00 to $232.00 in a note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Stephens’ price objective would suggest a potential upside of 10.82% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $255.00 price objective on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $248.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on AutoNation from $235.00 to $210.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Citigroup lifted their price target on AutoNation from $287.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of AutoNation in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $248.36.

AutoNation Stock Performance

NYSE:AN opened at $209.35 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.92 billion, a PE ratio of 9.70, a PEG ratio of 0.88 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. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $197.82 and its 200 day simple moving average is $198.37.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $6.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.26 EPS. The business’s revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that AutoNation will post 21.56 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $198,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 7,989 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,757,580. The trade was a 10.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 9,494 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,960,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in AutoNation by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,668 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,170,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC increased its holdings in AutoNation by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 6,288 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,376,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its position in AutoNation by 13.3% in the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 519 shares of the company’s stock valued at $114,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Redwood Investment Management LLC raised its position in AutoNation by 1.1% in the first quarter. Redwood Investment Management LLC now owns 5,372 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,049,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.