AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Price Target Raised to $200.00 at Stephens

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) had its price target lifted by Stephens from $195.00 to $200.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

AN has been the subject of several other research reports. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on AutoNation from $169.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Guggenheim decreased their target price on AutoNation from $190.00 to $189.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $199.71.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE AN opened at $191.77 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market cap of $7.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.06, a P/E/G ratio of 3.71 and a beta of 1.25. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $179.12 and its 200-day simple moving average is $173.37. AutoNation has a 52 week low of $136.35 and a 52 week high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a return on equity of 32.01% and a net margin of 2.74%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that AutoNation will post 16.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,845 shares of the company’s stock worth $509,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the period. OLD National Bancorp IN lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN now owns 3,100 shares of the company’s stock worth $555,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,290 shares of the company’s stock worth $219,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the period. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the company’s stock worth $590,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the period. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the company’s stock worth $657,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

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.