AutoNation (AN) to Release Earnings on Friday

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) will be releasing its earnings data before the market opens on Friday, October 25th. Analysts expect AutoNation to post earnings of $4.62 per share for the quarter. Individual that are interested in participating in the company’s earnings conference call can do so using this link.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $3.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.31 by ($0.32). AutoNation had a net margin of 2.93% and a return on equity of 36.50%. The company had revenue of $6.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $6.29 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect AutoNation to post $18 EPS for the current fiscal year and $19 EPS for the next fiscal year.

AutoNation Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of AN opened at $161.75 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.85, a PEG ratio of 3.38 and a beta of 1.19. AutoNation has a 52 week low of $123.81 and a 52 week high of $197.18. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $171.22 and its 200-day moving average price is $167.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on AN shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on AutoNation from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. Stephens initiated coverage on AutoNation in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley upgraded AutoNation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $145.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of AutoNation from $187.00 to $181.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $200.38.

Insider Transactions at AutoNation

In other news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of the firm’s 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $694,492,393.92. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.06, for a total value of $91,030.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,825,338 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $696,441,036.28. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.43, for a total value of $7,189,355.42. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,786,144 shares in the company, valued at approximately $694,492,393.92. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 93,256 shares of company stock valued at $17,641,954 over the last 90 days. 0.74% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.