AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) had its price objective raised by equities researchers at Stephens from $195.00 to $200.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "equal weight" rating on the stock. Stephens' price target suggests a potential upside of 3.77% from the stock's previous close.
Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut 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. Guggenheim cut 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on AutoNation from $169.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $199.71.
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AutoNation Price Performance
Shares of NYSE:AN traded up $0.75 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $192.74. The company had a trading volume of 412,001 shares, compared to its average volume of 387,925. AutoNation has a twelve month low of $136.35 and a twelve month high of $198.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The stock has a market cap of $7.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.71 and a beta of 1.25. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $179.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $173.57.
AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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 return on equity of 32.01% and a net margin of 2.74%. On average, research analysts predict that AutoNation will post 16.74 earnings per share for the current year.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 54.0% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 311 shares of the company's stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the period. NBC Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 28.1% in the third quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 802 shares of the company's stock valued at $143,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares during the period. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 10.6% in the third quarter. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda now owns 1,708 shares of the company's stock valued at $306,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd. purchased a new position in AutoNation in the third quarter valued at $313,000. Finally, Ellsworth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 12.9% in the third quarter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC now owns 4,335 shares of the company's stock valued at $776,000 after purchasing an additional 494 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
AutoNation Company Profile
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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.
Further Reading
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