AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Price Target Cut to $181.00 by Analysts at Wells Fargo & Company

by · The Markets Daily

AutoNation (NYSE:AN – Free Report) had its price objective cut by Wells Fargo & Company from $187.00 to $181.00 in a research report report published on Tuesday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the stock.

A number of other analysts have also commented on AN. Bank of America reduced their target price on AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 14th. Stephens initiated coverage on AutoNation in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of AutoNation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $145.00 to $200.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $200.38.

Check Out Our Latest Report on AN

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AN opened at $169.14 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.71 billion, a PE ratio of 9.26, a PEG ratio of 3.34 and a beta of 1.19. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $171.51 and a 200-day moving average price of $167.58. AutoNation has a 1-year low of $123.81 and a 1-year high of $197.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.21.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $3.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.31 by ($0.32). AutoNation had a return on equity of 36.50% and a net margin of 2.93%. The firm had revenue of $6.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $6.29 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that AutoNation will post 17.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoNation

In other news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 53,562 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.45, for a total transaction of $10,361,568.90. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,825,838 shares in the company, valued at $740,108,361.10. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 53,562 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.45, for a total value of $10,361,568.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 3,825,838 shares in the company, valued at $740,108,361.10. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.43, for a total value of $7,189,355.42. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,786,144 shares in the company, valued at approximately $694,492,393.92. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 93,256 shares of company stock valued at $17,641,954. Insiders own 0.74% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AN. Boston Partners purchased a new position in AutoNation in the 1st quarter worth approximately $170,270,000. WINTON GROUP Ltd bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the second quarter valued at approximately $15,832,000. Lodge Hill Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation in the second quarter worth $15,141,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 4,275.6% during the second quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 50,107 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,986,000 after acquiring an additional 51,307 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in AutoNation by 2.7% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,605,708 shares of the company’s stock valued at $255,910,000 after acquiring an additional 41,712 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

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