AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Short Interest Down 8.8% in January

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) saw a significant drop in short interest in January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,760,000 shares, a drop of 8.8% from the January 15th total of 1,930,000 shares. Currently, 6.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 470,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.7 days.

AutoNation Stock Performance

NYSE AN opened at $193.46 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $180.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $173.51. AutoNation has a fifty-two week low of $136.35 and a fifty-two week high of $198.50. The company has a market cap of $7.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.16, a P/E/G ratio of 3.71 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.80.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 2.74% and a return on equity of 32.01%. Sell-side analysts predict that AutoNation will post 16.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on AN. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of AutoNation from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AutoNation in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on AutoNation from $190.00 to $180.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on AutoNation from $170.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Stephens raised their target price on shares of AutoNation from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AutoNation has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $202.57.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoNation

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AN. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 2.2% during the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,845 shares of the company’s stock valued at $509,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoNation by 25.5% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN boosted its holdings in AutoNation by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN now owns 3,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $555,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its position in AutoNation by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,290 shares of the company’s stock valued at $219,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its stake in AutoNation by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the company’s stock worth $590,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.