AutoNation (NYSE:AN) PT Lowered to $215.00 at Bank of America

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) had its price target lowered by Bank of America from $220.00 to $215.00 in a report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. Bank of America currently has a buy rating on the stock.

AN has been the subject of several other reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on AutoNation from $144.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of AutoNation from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 21st. Morgan Stanley raised shares of AutoNation from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $117.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. Finally, Evercore ISI initiated coverage on AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. They set an outperform rating and a $185.00 price target on the stock. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $174.25.

AutoNation Price Performance

AN stock opened at $154.20 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $152.18 and a 200-day moving average price of $144.01. AutoNation has a 52-week low of $123.81 and a 52-week high of $182.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.80, a PEG ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.24.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $5.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.85 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $6.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.67 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 48.76% and a net margin of 3.79%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $6.37 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that AutoNation will post 18.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other AutoNation news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 380,497 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.12, for a total value of $54,456,730.64. Following the sale, the insider now owns 4,278,664 shares in the company, valued at approximately $612,362,391.68. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 380,497 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.12, for a total transaction of $54,456,730.64. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 4,278,664 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $612,362,391.68. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 10,804 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.56, for a total value of $1,669,866.24. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 4,267,860 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $659,640,441.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 501,776 shares of company stock worth $73,818,692 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.74% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 4.6% in the third quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 44,695 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,767,000 after acquiring an additional 1,983 shares during the period. Mirabella Financial Services LLP purchased a new stake in AutoNation in the third quarter worth $919,000. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 69.6% during the third quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 11,569 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,752,000 after purchasing an additional 4,748 shares during the last quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter valued at $1,525,000. Finally, Dorsey Wright & Associates purchased a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the third quarter valued at $1,329,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.