AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Price Target Raised to $240.00

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) had its price objective increased by equities researchers at Evercore ISI from $220.00 to $240.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Evercore ISI’s target price suggests a potential upside of 24.43% from the stock’s current price.

AN has been the topic of several other reports. StockNews.com raised shares of AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Stephens upped their price target on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $202.57.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE AN traded up $0.21 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $192.89. The stock had a trading volume of 48,685 shares, compared to its average volume of 451,153. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $180.03 and a 200-day moving average of $173.51. The firm has a market cap of $7.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.13, a PEG ratio of 3.71 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. AutoNation has a fifty-two week low of $136.35 and a fifty-two week high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a return on equity of 32.01% and a net margin of 2.74%. Equities research analysts predict that AutoNation will post 16.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vontobel Holding Ltd. acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the third quarter valued at $313,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 33.8% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,899 shares of the company’s stock valued at $340,000 after purchasing an additional 480 shares in the last quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 2.2% in the third quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN now owns 3,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $555,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the third quarter valued at about $131,250,000. Finally, Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 12.2% during the third quarter. Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,304 shares of the company’s stock worth $412,000 after buying an additional 251 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.