AutoNation (NYSE:AN) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Posted by on Oct 31st, 2026

AutoNation (NYSE:AN – Get Free Report) released its earnings results on Friday. The company reported $5.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.08 by $0.03, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.93 billion. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.24% and a net margin of 2.82%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $5.01 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from AutoNation’s conference call:

  • AutoNation delivered its seventh consecutive quarter of year-over-year adjusted EPS growth, with Q3 adjusted EPS of $5.11, up 2%. Share repurchases contributed $0.64 per share to growth and reduced the year-over-year share count by 12%.
  • Aftersales reached a record $617 million in gross profit, with customer-pay and warranty gross profit each increasing 5%. Management said healthy customer traffic and technology-enabled productivity support continued mid-single-digit growth, although deferred maintenance and lower repair-order content remain pressures.
  • AutoNation Finance continued scaling rapidly, with its portfolio reaching approximately $2.9 billion, quarterly operating profit rising to $15 million from $2 million a year ago, and a 24% return on equity. Management expects approximately $120 million of 2026 cash flow from the business and sees a path to at least $150 million in 2027.
  • Vehicle sales remained pressured: new retail units fell 3% and used units declined 5%, while the expiration of EV incentives drove a 60% drop in battery-electric vehicle sales. Lower volumes, reduced operating leverage, wholesale vehicle losses, higher interest expense, and somewhat elevated new-vehicle inventory weighed on results.
  • The board authorized an additional $1 billion share-repurchase program, bringing available authorization to approximately $1.4 billion. Management said repurchases remain the preferred use of incremental capital, while maintaining leverage within its 2–3x EBITDA target and preserving investment-grade credit status.

AutoNation Price Performance

AN stock opened at $179.05 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $176.82 and a 200-day moving average of $193.73. The company has a market cap of $5.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.29, a PEG ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68. AutoNation has a 12-month low of $151.82 and a 12-month high of $235.81.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoNation

In related news, Director Lisa Lutoff-Perlo sold 900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $198,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 7,989 shares in the company, valued at $1,757,580. This represents a 10.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on AN shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on AutoNation from $210.00 to $185.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on AutoNation from $290.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 21st. Argus increased their price objective on AutoNation from $241.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Northcoast Research raised AutoNation from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $240.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on shares of AutoNation from $260.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $230.00.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on AutoNation

Key Headlines Impacting AutoNation

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoNation this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: AutoNation reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $5.11 per share, above the $5.08 consensus estimate, while revenue of $7.01 billion exceeded expectations of $6.93 billion. Earnings also improved from $5.01 per share a year earlier. AutoNation third-quarter earnings report
  • Positive Sentiment: Record After-Sales gross profit and sharply higher AutoNation Finance income—$15.4 million versus $1.5 million a year earlier—helped support results despite a challenging vehicle market. AutoNation service resilience article
  • Positive Sentiment: The company repurchased approximately $620 million of stock during the first nine months and received an additional $1 billion authorization. Management’s view that AN shares are undervalued could provide continued support for the stock and boost per-share results. Why AutoNation stock popped after earnings
  • Neutral Sentiment: Revenue was essentially flat year over year at roughly $7.0 billion. Liquidity stood at $1.5 billion, including $51 million in cash, while the company maintained strong reported returns, including a 31.24% return on equity.
  • Negative Sentiment: GAAP net income fell 25% to $162.3 million, operating income declined 16%, and GAAP diluted EPS decreased to $4.87 from $5.65. Gross profit also slipped 2% year over year. AutoNation third-quarter revenue and net income report
  • Negative Sentiment: Chief Executive Officer Mike Manley warned that economic pressure is causing consumers to delay vehicle repairs, creating a risk for future After-Sales demand even though that division was resilient this quarter. AutoNation CEO warns about delayed car repairs

About AutoNation

(Get Free Report)

AutoNation, Inc is a U.S.-based automotive retailer that sells new and used vehicles through a network of dealerships and online sales channels. The company represents a range of domestic, import and luxury automotive brands, offering passenger cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles.

In addition to vehicle sales, AutoNation provides automotive maintenance and repair, parts, collision-repair services, vehicle protection products and financing options. Its retail operations include traditional dealerships as well as AutoNation USA locations, which focus primarily on used vehicles and related services.

Founded in 1996 as Republic Industries, the company adopted the AutoNation name as it developed its automotive retail business.

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Earnings History for AutoNation (NYSE:AN)

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