AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the seven ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $199.29.

Several brokerages recently weighed in on AN. Guggenheim dropped their target price on AutoNation from $190.00 to $189.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on AutoNation from $187.00 to $181.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of AutoNation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $145.00 to $200.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Bank of America cut their price target 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, Stephens initiated coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 price objective for the company.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AN. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 10.3% during the second quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 10,625 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,693,000 after purchasing an additional 990 shares in the last quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 15,771 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,514,000 after buying an additional 639 shares in the last quarter. Versor Investments LP purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 2nd quarter worth about $673,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 17.2% in the 2nd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 1,471 shares of the company’s stock worth $234,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Foster & Motley Inc. lifted its position in AutoNation by 35.5% during the 2nd quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 3,262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $520,000 after acquiring an additional 855 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AutoNation Stock Performance

NYSE AN opened at $169.84 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $6.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.79, a PEG ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $169.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $169.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. AutoNation has a 12-month low of $133.13 and a 12-month high of $197.18.

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.