AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.71 EPS

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) announced its earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $4.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.26 by $0.71, Zacks reports. AutoNation had a return on equity of 32.01% and a net margin of 2.74%.

AutoNation Stock Up 1.3 %

Shares of AN opened at $195.16 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.80. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $178.93 and a 200-day simple moving average of $173.24. AutoNation has a 52 week low of $136.35 and a 52 week high of $198.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.25, a P/E/G ratio of 3.71 and a beta of 1.25.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $169.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Stephens upped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $192.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. 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 research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Guggenheim cut their price objective on AutoNation from $190.00 to $189.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, AutoNation presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $195.57.

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.