Wells Fargo & Company Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Stock

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) had its target price increased by equities research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $170.00 to $194.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price objective suggests a potential upside of 0.80% from the stock’s current price.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Guggenheim dropped their price objective on AutoNation from $190.00 to $189.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Stephens increased their price objective on AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $199.71.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of AN opened at $192.46 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $7.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.10, a P/E/G ratio of 3.71 and a beta of 1.25. AutoNation has a fifty-two week low of $136.35 and a fifty-two week high of $198.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The business’s 50-day moving average is $179.12 and its 200-day moving average is $173.37.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.26 by $0.71. AutoNation had a return on equity of 32.01% and a net margin of 2.74%. Equities research analysts expect that AutoNation will post 16.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AN. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 581.8% in the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 150 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares during the period. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 150.8% in the fourth quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 403.6% in the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 282 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 226 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% in the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 54.0% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 311 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

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.