AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Rating Lowered to “Hold” at StockNews.com

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Wednesday.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Stephens boosted their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $201.86.

AutoNation Trading Down 3.8 %

Shares of AN stock opened at $166.76 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $174.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $173.15. AutoNation has a 52-week low of $148.33 and a 52-week high of $198.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.54 billion, a PE ratio of 9.84, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.74.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.48% and a net margin of 2.59%. On average, analysts predict that AutoNation will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 50.3% in the 4th quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC now owns 1,461,213 shares of the company’s stock valued at $248,172,000 after acquiring an additional 488,904 shares in the last quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. increased its position in AutoNation by 422.7% in the 4th quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 575,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $97,658,000 after purchasing an additional 465,000 shares during the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 63.0% during the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 1,104,934 shares of the company’s stock valued at $187,662,000 after buying an additional 426,882 shares during the last quarter. Cartenna Capital LP acquired a new position in AutoNation in the fourth quarter worth approximately $56,831,000. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,136,000. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

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.