AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Trading Down 5.2% After Analyst Downgrade

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report)'s stock price traded down 5.2% during mid-day trading on Thursday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on the stock from $195.00 to $175.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock. AutoNation traded as low as $161.68 and last traded at $161.77. 218,659 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 50% from the average session volume of 436,250 shares. The stock had previously closed at $170.72.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Evercore ISI upped their target price on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of AutoNation from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Stephens raised their target price on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $201.86.

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Institutional Trading of AutoNation

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AN. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 50.3% during the 4th quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC now owns 1,461,213 shares of the company's stock valued at $248,172,000 after acquiring an additional 488,904 shares in the last quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 422.7% during the fourth quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 575,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $97,658,000 after purchasing an additional 465,000 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 during the last quarter. Cartenna Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $56,831,000. Finally, Simcoe Capital Management LLC bought a new position in AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $42,255,000. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company's stock.

AutoNation Trading Up 1.8 %

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 firm's 50-day moving average is $179.76 and its 200 day moving average is $173.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.56, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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, equities analysts predict that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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.