Seaport Res Ptn Reduces Earnings Estimates for AutoNation

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) – Research analysts at Seaport Res Ptn lowered their Q4 2025 earnings per share estimates for shares of AutoNation in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, November 10th. Seaport Res Ptn analyst G. Chin now expects that the company will post earnings per share of $5.00 for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $5.07. The consensus estimate for AutoNation’s current full-year earnings is $18.15 per share.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $5.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.85 by $0.16. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.84% and a net margin of 2.38%.The business had revenue of $7.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.74 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.02 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year.

AN has been the subject of several other research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of AutoNation in a research report on Tuesday. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $250.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on AutoNation from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Bank of America cut their target price on AutoNation from $255.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 10th. Finally, Guggenheim decreased their price target on AutoNation from $230.00 to $228.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, AutoNation currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $236.44.

AutoNation Stock Performance

NYSE:AN opened at $193.94 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The firm has a market cap of $7.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 0.87. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $212.75 and its 200 day moving average price is $202.38. AutoNation has a 1-year low of $148.33 and a 1-year high of $228.92.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AN. HM Payson & Co. acquired a new position in AutoNation during the third quarter worth $31,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in AutoNation in the third quarter valued at $37,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of AutoNation by 355.3% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its stake in shares of AutoNation by 2,477.8% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 232 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.62% of the company’s stock.

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.