AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Price Target Lowered to $202.00 at Wells Fargo & Company

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) had its price objective lowered by Wells Fargo & Company from $208.00 to $202.00 in a report released on Monday, Marketbeat reports. The firm currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on AN. Weiss Ratings raised shares of AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $269.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. UBS Group started coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $234.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $240.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on AutoNation from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $246.30.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.6%

NYSE AN opened at $191.81 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.42 billion, a PE ratio of 10.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.75. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $192.60 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $199.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. AutoNation has a 12 month low of $176.62 and a 12 month high of $228.92.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $4.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.71 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $6.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.65 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 2.47%.AutoNation’s revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $4.68 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that AutoNation will post 21.24 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at AutoNation

In related news, CAO Kimberly Dees sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.91, for a total value of $512,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,456 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $298,348.96. The trade was a 63.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AN. Redwood Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 1.1% during the first quarter. Redwood Investment Management LLC now owns 5,372 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,049,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. DV Trading LLC purchased a new position in AutoNation during the first quarter worth about $247,000. Edgestream Partners L.P. grew its position in AutoNation by 54.4% in the 1st quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. now owns 53,948 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,534,000 after purchasing an additional 19,002 shares in the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems purchased a new stake in AutoNation in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,041,000. Finally, Bull Harbor Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 1st quarter worth approximately $381,000. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

About AutoNation

AutoNation, Inc is the largest automotive retailer in the United States, operating a network of franchised new vehicle dealerships, pre-owned vehicle superstores and collision-repair centers. The company offers a comprehensive range of automotive products and services, including the sale of new cars and light trucks from leading manufacturers, certified pre-owned vehicles and a wide selection of used models. In addition to retail vehicle sales, AutoNation provides financing, insurance and extended service contracts through its in-house financial services division, as well as genuine and aftermarket parts, factory-recommended maintenance and collision-repair services.

Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, AutoNation was founded in 1996 by entrepreneur H.