Zacks Research Forecasts Reduced Earnings for AutoNation

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research cut their FY2027 earnings per share estimates for shares of AutoNation in a research note issued on Friday, August 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $23.51 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $24.27. The consensus estimate for AutoNation’s current full-year earnings is $21.69 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for AutoNation’s Q4 2027 earnings at $6.03 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $6.22 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $26.11 EPS.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The company reported $5.56 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.48 by $0.08. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.82% and a return on equity of 31.24%. The firm had revenue of $6.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.26 earnings per share. AutoNation’s revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year.

AN has been the subject of a number of other reports. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $255.00 target price on shares of AutoNation in a report on Monday, August 3rd. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $248.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Argus upped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $241.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $250.00.

AutoNation Price Performance

AutoNation stock opened at $204.93 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $200.12 and a 200-day moving average of $198.04. AutoNation has a 52-week low of $176.62 and a 52-week high of $235.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.49, a PEG ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.71.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the third quarter valued at $48,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in AutoNation by 49.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 259 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its stake in AutoNation by 33.0% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 306 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in AutoNation during the 2nd quarter worth $63,000. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AutoNation news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $198,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 7,989 shares in the company, valued at $1,757,580. This trade represents a 10.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.40% 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.