Brokerages Set AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) PT at $199.00

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the seven brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $199.00.

Several research firms recently issued reports on AN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Morgan Stanley raised AutoNation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $145.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of AutoNation from $187.00 to $181.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Stephens began coverage on shares of AutoNation in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Bank of America cut their target price on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 14th.

AutoNation Stock Down 1.3 %

Shares of NYSE AN opened at $164.80 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. The business’s 50 day moving average is $166.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $168.26. AutoNation has a 52-week low of $129.32 and a 52-week high of $197.18. The firm has a market cap of $6.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.50, a PEG ratio of 3.44 and a beta of 1.21.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.43, for a total value of $7,189,355.42. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,786,144 shares in the company, valued at $694,492,393.92. This trade represents a 1.02 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.74% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AN. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 90.6% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 202 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the second quarter worth about $37,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 403.6% during the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 282 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 1st quarter valued at about $57,000. Finally, Quarry LP boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 498.5% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 407 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the period. 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.