At US$177, Is AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) Worth Looking At Closely?

While AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) might not have the largest market cap around , it saw a decent share price growth of 14% on the NYSE over the last few months. Shareholders may appreciate the recent price jump, but the company still has a way to go before reaching its yearly highs again. With many analysts covering the mid-cap stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stock’s share price. However, could the stock still be trading at a relatively cheap price? Today we will analyse the most recent data on AutoNation’s outlook and valuation to see if the opportunity still exists.

See our latest analysis for AutoNation

What's The Opportunity In AutoNation?

Good news, investors! AutoNation is still a bargain right now. According to our valuation, the intrinsic value for the stock is $244.81, which is above what the market is valuing the company at the moment. This indicates a potential opportunity to buy low. However, given that AutoNation’s share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us another chance to buy in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

What kind of growth will AutoNation generate?

Future outlook is an important aspect when you’re looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so let’s also take a look at the company's future expectations. Though in the case of AutoNation, it is expected to deliver a relatively unexciting earnings growth of 10.0%, which doesn’t help build up its investment thesis. Growth doesn’t appear to be a main reason for a buy decision for the company, at least in the near term.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? Even though growth is relatively muted, since AN is currently undervalued, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. However, there are also other factors such as capital structure to consider, which could explain the current undervaluation.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on AN for a while, now might be the time to enter the stock. Its future outlook isn’t fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it’s not too late to buy AN. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the track record of its management team, in order to make a well-informed buy.

If you'd like to know more about AutoNation as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. When we did our research, we found 3 warning signs for AutoNation (1 is significant!) that we believe deserve your full attention.

If you are no longer interested in AutoNation, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.