AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Now Covered by Analysts at Citigroup

Citigroup started coverage on shares of AutoNation (NYSE:AN) in a research report released on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage issued a buy rating and a $217.00 price target on the stock.

AN has been the topic of a number of other reports. StockNews.com lowered AutoNation from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Stephens upped their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price 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. Finally, Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $200.75.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of AutoNation stock opened at $169.01 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.98, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. AutoNation has a 1-year low of $148.33 and a 1-year high of $198.50. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $169.85 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $172.55.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its earnings results 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 2.59% and a return on equity of 30.48%. On average, equities analysts predict that AutoNation will post 18.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Retirement Systems of Alabama boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 142.2% during the third quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 73,429 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,138,000 after purchasing an additional 43,113 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 6,277 shares in the last quarter. Whalen Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at about $255,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter worth about $13,239,000. Finally, Foster & Motley Inc. raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 97.4% during the fourth quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 11,640 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,977,000 after purchasing an additional 5,742 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.