AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Stock Price Down 5.2% on Analyst Downgrade

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)’s share price fell 5.2% during trading on Thursday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on the stock from $195.00 to $175.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock. AutoNation traded as low as $161.68 and last traded at $161.77. 218,659 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 50% from the average session volume of 436,250 shares. The stock had previously closed at $170.72.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on AN. StockNews.com upgraded AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Stephens increased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $201.86.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its position in AutoNation by 25.5% during 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 period. CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,290 shares of the company’s stock valued at $219,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares during the period. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the company’s stock worth $590,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 11,171 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,897,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its stake in AutoNation by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the company’s stock valued at $657,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Trading Down 2.7 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.21. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $179.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $173.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.32.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.48% and a net margin of 2.59%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that AutoNation, Inc. will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.