Guggenheim Lowers AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Price Target to $183.00

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) had its price target cut by Guggenheim from $212.00 to $183.00 in a research note released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the stock.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. StockNews.com cut shares of AutoNation from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Finally, Stephens upped their price target on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, AutoNation presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $198.43.

AutoNation Stock Up 3.4 %

Shares of NYSE AN opened at $169.03 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $6.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.15. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $170.33 and its 200-day simple moving average is $172.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. AutoNation has a 52-week low of $148.33 and a 52-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 (EPS) 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%. Equities analysts predict that AutoNation will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AN. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 43,987 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,870,000 after purchasing an additional 2,263 shares during the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC lifted its position in AutoNation by 16.4% in the third quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 964 shares of the company’s stock valued at $172,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in AutoNation during the third quarter worth about $242,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 48.3% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 20,148 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,370,000 after acquiring an additional 6,558 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Retirement Systems of Alabama raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 142.2% in the 3rd quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 73,429 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,138,000 after acquiring an additional 43,113 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.