AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Price Target Raised to $195.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) had its price objective upped by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $180.00 to $195.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target would indicate a potential upside of 2.90% from the stock’s previous close.

AN has been the subject of several other research reports. Evercore ISI increased their target price on AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Stephens raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoNation currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $204.71.

AutoNation Price Performance

NYSE:AN traded down $3.85 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $189.51. 65,925 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 452,031. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $180.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $173.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. The company has a market cap of $7.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.72 and a beta of 1.25. AutoNation has a 1 year low of $136.35 and a 1 year high of $198.50.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share 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 30.98%. Sell-side analysts forecast that AutoNation will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vontobel Holding Ltd. acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the third quarter valued at approximately $313,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 33.8% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,899 shares of the company’s stock worth $340,000 after purchasing an additional 480 shares during the period. OLD National Bancorp IN lifted its position in AutoNation by 2.2% in the third quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN now owns 3,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $555,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $131,250,000. Finally, Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 12.2% during the 3rd quarter. Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,304 shares of the company’s stock worth $412,000 after purchasing an additional 251 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is 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.