Wells Fargo & Company Has Lowered Expectations for AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Stock Price

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Free Report) had its price objective lowered by Wells Fargo & Company from $194.00 to $176.00 in a research note released on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. StockNews.com lowered shares of AutoNation from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Stephens increased their price target on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $200.75.

AutoNation Stock Down 3.0 %

NYSE:AN traded down $5.25 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $168.11. The company's stock had a trading volume of 261,084 shares, compared to its average volume of 457,436. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. AutoNation has a 1 year low of $148.33 and a 1 year high of $198.50. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $169.46 and a 200-day moving average of $172.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.60 billion, a PE ratio of 9.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.15.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 25th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.21 by $0.47. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.49 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that AutoNation will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AN. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 581.8% during the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 150 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Curat Global LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $36,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% in the 4th 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 period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 81.1% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 460 shares of the company's stock worth $74,000 after buying an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Company Profile

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.