AutoNation (AN) Set to Announce Quarterly Earnings on Friday

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) is scheduled to be releasing its earnings data before the market opens on Friday, October 25th. Analysts expect AutoNation to post earnings of $4.62 per share for the quarter. Individual interested in registering for the company’s earnings conference call can do so using this link.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $3.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.31 by ($0.32). The business had revenue of $6.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.93% and a return on equity of 36.50%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $6.29 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect AutoNation to post $18 EPS for the current fiscal year and $19 EPS for the next fiscal year.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.1 %

NYSE AN opened at $162.00 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $6.43 billion, a PE ratio of 8.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.38 and a beta of 1.19. AutoNation has a 1-year low of $123.81 and a 1-year high of $197.18. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $171.07 and a 200-day moving average of $167.76. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AN has been the subject of several recent research reports. Stephens initiated coverage on AutoNation in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $210.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of AutoNation from $187.00 to $181.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 14th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of AutoNation from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $145.00 to $200.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on AutoNation from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, AutoNation currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $200.38.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.06, for a total value of $91,030.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,825,338 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $696,441,036.28. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 39,194 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.43, for a total value of $7,189,355.42. Following the sale, the insider now owns 3,786,144 shares in the company, valued at $694,492,393.92. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 500 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.06, for a total value of $91,030.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,825,338 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $696,441,036.28. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 93,256 shares of company stock worth $17,641,954 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.74% 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.