Guggenheim Cuts AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Price Target to $183.00

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) had its price target lowered by equities researchers at Guggenheim from $212.00 to $183.00 in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Guggenheim’s price objective points to a potential upside of 9.19% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on AutoNation from $194.00 to $176.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Stephens lifted their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of AutoNation from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. 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.com, AutoNation currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $198.43.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AN stock opened at $167.60 on Tuesday. 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 12 month low of $148.33 and a 12 month high of $198.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.58 billion, a PE ratio of 9.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 1.15. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $170.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $172.60.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a return on equity of 30.48% and a net margin of 2.59%. Analysts forecast that AutoNation will post 18.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 50.3% in the 4th quarter. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC now owns 1,461,213 shares of the company’s stock valued at $248,172,000 after acquiring an additional 488,904 shares in the last quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 422.7% in the 4th quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 575,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $97,658,000 after buying an additional 465,000 shares during the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. raised its position in shares of AutoNation by 63.0% during the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 1,104,934 shares of the company’s stock valued at $187,662,000 after buying an additional 426,882 shares in the last quarter. Cartenna Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of AutoNation in the 4th quarter worth about $56,831,000. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of AutoNation during the 4th quarter valued at $38,136,000. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.