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

Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have issued a hold recommendation and eight have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $230.00.

A number of brokerages have issued reports on AN. Argus upped their target price on AutoNation from $241.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Stephens increased their price target on AutoNation from $220.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $290.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $260.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Northcoast Research upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $240.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th.

AutoNation Stock Performance

AN stock opened at $161.97 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68. The company has a market capitalization of $5.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.50, a P/E/G ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 0.81. AutoNation has a 12 month low of $151.82 and a 12 month high of $235.81. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $185.29 and a two-hundred day moving average of $193.30.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $198,000.00. Following the sale, the director 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its position in AutoNation by 73.9% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 193 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 33.0% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 306 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Monetary Solutions Ltd acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at $64,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in AutoNation in the second quarter worth $63,000. Finally, Community Financial Services Group LLC bought a new position in AutoNation in the second quarter worth $108,000. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

About AutoNation

AutoNation, Inc is an automotive retailer headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The company sells new and used vehicles through a network of franchised dealerships representing a range of major automotive brands, as well as through digital retailing channels.

In addition to vehicle sales, AutoNation provides automotive maintenance and repair, parts, collision repair, vehicle protection products, financing assistance and other related services. Its operations support customers throughout the vehicle ownership cycle, from purchase and financing to routine service and repairs.

The company traces its origins to Republic Industries, which entered the automotive retail business in the 1990s and adopted the AutoNation name in 1998.