Wells Fargo & Company Boosts AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Price Target to $194.00

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) had its price target increased by Wells Fargo & Company from $170.00 to $194.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price target points to a potential upside of 1.41% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on AN. Stephens lifted their price target on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Guggenheim dropped their price target on AutoNation from $190.00 to $189.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, AutoNation presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $199.71.

AutoNation Stock Down 2.0 %

Shares of AutoNation stock traded down $3.86 on Wednesday, reaching $191.30. 42,902 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 446,672. AutoNation has a one year low of $136.35 and a one year high of $198.50. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. The company has a 50-day moving average of $178.93 and a 200 day moving average of $173.24. The company has a market capitalization of $7.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.00, a PEG ratio of 3.71 and a beta of 1.25.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC raised its stake in AutoNation by 15.4% in the 4th quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 1,296 shares of the company’s stock worth $220,000 after purchasing an additional 173 shares in the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 3,954 shares of the company’s stock worth $672,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,136,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $679,000. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new stake in AutoNation during the fourth quarter worth approximately $883,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.