AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Wells Fargo & Company Analyst Says

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Free Report) had its price objective upped by Wells Fargo & Company from $170.00 to $194.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Guggenheim decreased their price objective on AutoNation from $190.00 to $189.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Stephens boosted their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, AutoNation has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $199.71.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of AN stock traded up $0.75 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $192.74. 412,001 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 387,925. AutoNation has a 1-year low of $136.35 and a 1-year high of $198.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. The company 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 stock's fifty day simple moving average is $179.72 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $173.57.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, research analysts anticipate that AutoNation will post 16.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 581.8% in the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 150 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in AutoNation by 150.8% in the 4th quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 403.6% in the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 282 shares of the company's stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 54.0% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 311 shares of the company's stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% in the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.