Guggenheim Reaffirms Buy Rating for AutoNation (NYSE:AN)

AutoNation (NYSE:AN)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reiterated by investment analysts at Guggenheim in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Stephens lifted 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. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $199.71.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AN traded down $4.00 on Wednesday, reaching $191.15. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 56,753 shares, compared to its average volume of 447,211. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.02, a PEG ratio of 3.71 and a beta of 1.25. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $178.93 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $173.24. AutoNation has a 12-month low of $136.35 and a 12-month high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.74% and a return on equity of 32.01%. Research analysts forecast that AutoNation will post 16.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AN. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 581.8% during the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 150 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 150.8% during the fourth quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 403.6% during the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 282 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 54.0% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 311 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 77.1% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 494 shares of the company’s stock valued at $84,000 after buying an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

AutoNation Company Profile

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.