AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Price Target Cut to $181.00

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) had its price objective cut by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $187.00 to $181.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price indicates a potential upside of 6.49% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on AN. Stephens assumed coverage on AutoNation in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on AutoNation from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Bank of America dropped their target price on AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded AutoNation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their target price for the company from $145.00 to $200.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $200.38.

AutoNation Price Performance

AN stock opened at $169.97 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65. AutoNation has a one year low of $123.81 and a one year high of $197.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.84 billion, a PE ratio of 8.06, a P/E/G ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.19. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $171.42 and a two-hundred day moving average of $167.55.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $3.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.31 by ($0.32). The business had revenue of $6.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.72 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.93% and a return on equity of 36.50%. AutoNation’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $6.29 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that AutoNation will post 17.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.06, for a total value of $91,030.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,825,338 shares in the company, valued at approximately $696,441,036.28. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 53,562 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.45, for a total transaction of $10,361,568.90. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,825,838 shares in the company, valued at $740,108,361.10. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.06, for a total value of $91,030.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,825,338 shares in the company, valued at approximately $696,441,036.28. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 93,256 shares of company stock worth $17,641,954. Insiders own 0.74% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AN. Riverview Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the first quarter valued at approximately $33,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 90.6% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 202 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Denali Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 79.7% in the first quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 248 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the period. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the first quarter valued at approximately $57,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

About AutoNation

AutoNation, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as an automotive retailer in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Domestic, Import, and Premium Luxury. It offers a range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicles; and parts and services, such as automotive repair and maintenance, and wholesale parts and collision services.