AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.12 EPS

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday. The company reported $5.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.42 by $0.12, RTT News reports. AutoNation had a net margin of 4.06% and a return on equity of 55.31%. The company had revenue of $6.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.71 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $6.00 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year.

AutoNation Trading Up 0.1 %

AN opened at $130.54 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $147.54 and its 200-day moving average is $148.45. AutoNation has a 1-year low of $99.72 and a 1-year high of $182.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83. The company has a market cap of $5.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.59, a PEG ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.16.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director George Lawrence Mikan III sold 16,771 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $159.59, for a total value of $2,676,483.89. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 17,804 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,841,340.36. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, EVP C Coleman Edmunds sold 4,500 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.35, for a total transaction of $721,575.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 9,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,458,222.90. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director George Lawrence Mikan III sold 16,771 shares of AutoNation stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.59, for a total transaction of $2,676,483.89. Following the sale, the director now owns 17,804 shares in the company, valued at $2,841,340.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.69% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the 1st quarter worth approximately $249,000. Ethic Inc. lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 11.6% in the 1st quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 5,324 shares of the company’s stock worth $715,000 after purchasing an additional 555 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 11.1% in the 2nd quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 11,680 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,923,000 after purchasing an additional 1,168 shares during the period. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of AutoNation by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. now owns 254,693 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,221,000 after purchasing an additional 5,153 shares during the period. Finally, Alpha Cubed Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of AutoNation in the 1st quarter valued at $219,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.22% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AN has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 23rd. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $200.00 price target on shares of AutoNation in a research note on Monday, July 24th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of AutoNation from $225.00 to $245.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of AutoNation from $171.00 to $150.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 9th. Finally, Guggenheim lowered their price target on shares of AutoNation from $184.00 to $179.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, AutoNation presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $171.57.

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.