AutoNation (AN) Beats Q4 Earnings and Revenue Estimates

Core Insights - AutoNation reported quarterly earnings of $4.97 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.26 per share, but down from $5.02 per share a year ago, representing an earnings surprise of 16.67% [1] - The company generated revenues of $7.21 billion for the quarter, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.56% and increasing from $6.77 billion year-over-year [2] - AutoNation's stock has increased by approximately 13.4% since the beginning of the year, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 3.1% [3] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $4.30, with expected revenues of $6.35 billion, and for the current fiscal year, the EPS estimate is $18.33 on revenues of $26.55 billion [7] - The estimate revisions trend for AutoNation is mixed, resulting in a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating expected performance in line with the market [6] Industry Context - The Automotive - Retail and Whole Sales industry is currently ranked in the top 28% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook compared to the bottom 50% [8] - Another company in the same industry, Penske Automotive, is expected to report quarterly earnings of $3.37 per share, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 2.3%, with revenues anticipated to be $7.56 billion, up 4% from the previous year [9][10]