AutoNation (AN) to Release Earnings on Friday

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) will release its earnings data before the market opens on Friday, April 26th. Analysts expect AutoNation to post earnings of $4.49 per share for the quarter. Persons that are interested in registering for the company’s earnings conference call can do so using this link.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $5.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.85 by $0.17. AutoNation had a net margin of 3.79% and a return on equity of 48.76%. The business had revenue of $6.77 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.67 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $6.37 earnings per share. AutoNation’s quarterly revenue was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect AutoNation to post $19 EPS for the current fiscal year and $20 EPS for the next fiscal year.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AN opened at $158.36 on Wednesday. AutoNation has a twelve month low of $123.81 and a twelve month high of $182.08. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $152.92 and a 200 day simple moving average of $144.27. The company has a market capitalization of $6.60 billion, a PE ratio of 6.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53.

Insider Transactions at AutoNation

In other news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.26, for a total transaction of $16,126,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 4,167,270 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $672,013,960.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 10,804 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.56, for a total transaction of $1,669,866.24. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 4,267,860 shares in the company, valued at $659,640,441.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Edward S. Lampert sold 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.26, for a total transaction of $16,126,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 4,167,270 shares in the company, valued at $672,013,960.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 121,279 shares of company stock valued at $19,361,962 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.74% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $165.00 to $169.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $144.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of AutoNation from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised shares of AutoNation from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $117.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, AutoNation has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $173.00.

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.