AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Receives $199.00 Average PT from Analysts

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the seven analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $199.00.

A number of research firms recently issued reports on AN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Morgan Stanley upgraded AutoNation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $145.00 to $200.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Bank of America cut their price target on AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 14th. Stephens initiated coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $187.00 to $181.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.43, for a total transaction of $7,189,355.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,786,144 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $694,492,393.92. The trade was a 1.02 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.74% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System boosted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 54.1% during the 1st quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 51,743 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,568,000 after purchasing an additional 18,157 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co purchased a new stake in AutoNation in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $838,000. BOKF NA grew its stake in AutoNation by 39.1% in the 1st quarter. BOKF NA now owns 53,461 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,808,000 after acquiring an additional 15,015 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LP purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 1st quarter worth $1,083,000. Finally, Raymond James & Associates lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 10.7% during the 2nd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 58,084 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,257,000 after purchasing an additional 5,611 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoNation Trading Down 1.3 %

Shares of AutoNation stock opened at $164.80 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.80. The company has a market capitalization of $6.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.50, a PEG ratio of 3.44 and a beta of 1.21. AutoNation has a 1 year low of $129.32 and a 1 year high of $197.18. The company’s fifty day moving average is $166.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $168.26.

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.