AutoNation (NYSE:AN) PT Raised to $190.00

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) had its price target boosted by research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $160.00 to $190.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target would suggest a potential upside of 19.75% from the company’s current price.

Several other research firms have also commented on AN. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. Guggenheim upped their price objective on AutoNation from $169.00 to $187.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 17th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $164.00 to $187.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $192.00.

AutoNation Price Performance

AN stock opened at $158.67 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $171.77 and a 200-day moving average of $164.74. The company has a market cap of $6.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.52, a PEG ratio of 3.20 and a beta of 1.20. 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 12-month low of $123.81 and a 12-month high of $197.18.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $3.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.31 by ($0.32). The firm had revenue of $6.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.93% and a return on equity of 36.50%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $6.29 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that AutoNation will post 17.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at AutoNation

In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 23,703 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.29, for a total transaction of $4,083,789.87. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 3,980,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $685,794,659.43. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 53,562 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.45, for a total value of $10,361,568.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 3,825,838 shares in the company, valued at approximately $740,108,361.10. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 23,703 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.29, for a total transaction of $4,083,789.87. Following the sale, the insider now owns 3,980,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $685,794,659.43. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 216,959 shares of company stock worth $39,346,744. 0.74% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Private Advisor Group LLC boosted its position in AutoNation by 12.9% in the 4th quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 1,764 shares of the company’s stock valued at $265,000 after buying an additional 202 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 300,991 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,203,000 after purchasing an additional 1,166 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC grew its stake in AutoNation by 73.9% during the 4th quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 7,985 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,199,000 after purchasing an additional 3,394 shares in the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in AutoNation by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,022 shares of the company’s stock worth $754,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First United Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in AutoNation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Company Profile

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.