AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Hits New 12-Month Low - Should You Sell?

Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low on Monday . The company traded as low as $148.33 and last traded at $149.04, with a volume of 57758 shares. The stock had previously closed at $158.55.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on AN shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 27th. StockNews.com lowered shares of AutoNation from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Stephens lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised 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. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $201.86.

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AutoNation Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $174.21 and a 200 day simple moving average of $173.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.15.

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Boston Partners grew its position in AutoNation by 12.6% during the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,814,228 shares of the company's stock worth $309,312,000 after buying an additional 203,335 shares in the last quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 50.3% during the fourth quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC now owns 1,461,213 shares of the company's stock worth $248,172,000 after purchasing an additional 488,904 shares in the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. grew its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 63.0% during the fourth quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 1,104,934 shares of the company's stock worth $187,662,000 after purchasing an additional 426,882 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 2.3% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 854,034 shares of the company's stock worth $152,804,000 after purchasing an additional 19,037 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its stake in AutoNation by 23.3% in the fourth quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 851,870 shares of the company's stock valued at $144,682,000 after purchasing an additional 160,794 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.