Zacks Research Increases Earnings Estimates for AutoNation

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) – Zacks Research upped their FY2025 earnings estimates for AutoNation in a research report issued on Thursday, November 6th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $19.91 per share for the year, up from their prior forecast of $19.60. The consensus estimate for AutoNation’s current full-year earnings is $18.15 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for AutoNation’s Q1 2026 earnings at $4.83 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $5.27 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $20.55 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $5.77 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $5.92 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $23.16 EPS.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on AN. Guggenheim decreased their price target on shares of AutoNation from $230.00 to $228.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on AutoNation from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday. Stephens boosted their price target on AutoNation from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered AutoNation from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $234.75.

AutoNation Price Performance

Shares of AN stock opened at $190.41 on Friday. AutoNation has a 12 month low of $148.33 and a 12 month high of $228.92. The company has a market capitalization of $6.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.20, a P/E/G ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 0.87. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $214.87 and a two-hundred day moving average of $201.52. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $5.01 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.85 by $0.16. AutoNation had a net margin of 2.38% and a return on equity of 31.84%. The firm had revenue of $7.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.74 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis.

AutoNation announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Friday, October 31st that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 13.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Trading of AutoNation

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. TD Private Client Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoNation during the first quarter worth $513,000. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in AutoNation by 62.1% during the 1st quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 2,661 shares of the company’s stock worth $431,000 after purchasing an additional 1,019 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 34.6% during the first quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 19,206 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,110,000 after purchasing an additional 4,940 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its position in AutoNation by 95.3% during the first quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 5,247 shares of the company’s stock worth $850,000 after purchasing an additional 2,561 shares during the period. Finally, Greatmark Investment Partners Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AutoNation by 5.3% during the 1st quarter. Greatmark Investment Partners Inc. now owns 154,144 shares of the company’s stock worth $24,959,000 after buying an additional 7,742 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.