AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Stock Price Down 3.1% – Here’s What Happened

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN)’s stock price fell 3.1% on Monday . The company traded as low as $164.00 and last traded at $162.54. 26,696 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 94% from the average session volume of 456,389 shares. The stock had previously closed at $167.82.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AN has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Stephens upped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $201.86.

AutoNation Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.74. The stock has a market cap of $6.43 billion, a PE ratio of 9.67, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.15. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $174.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $173.06.

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

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Retirement Systems of Alabama boosted its position in AutoNation by 142.2% during the 3rd quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 73,429 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,138,000 after acquiring an additional 43,113 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 327,165 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,566,000 after purchasing an additional 6,277 shares during the period. Whalen Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in AutoNation during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $255,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new position in AutoNation in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $13,239,000. Finally, Foster & Motley Inc. lifted its position in AutoNation by 97.4% in the 4th quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 11,640 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,977,000 after buying an additional 5,742 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.