Brokerages Set AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Price Target at $204.71

Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the seven brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $204.71.

AN has been the topic of several analyst reports. Evercore ISI increased their target price on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Stephens increased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% during the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,290 shares of the company’s stock worth $219,000 after buying an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its position in AutoNation by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the company’s stock valued at $590,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its stake in AutoNation by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 11,171 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,897,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.9 %

AN opened at $183.50 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $181.56 and a 200 day simple moving average of $174.28. AutoNation has a fifty-two week low of $139.54 and a fifty-two week high of $198.50. The company has a market cap of $7.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.21.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that AutoNation will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

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.