AutoNation Inc. shares jumped 2.6% in premarket trade Thursday, after the car retailer blew past estimates for the third quarter as net income roughly doubled from a year ago. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based AutoNation posted net income of $361.7 million, or $5.12 a share, for the quarter, up from $182.6 million, or $2.05 a share, in the year-earlier period. Revenue rose to $6.379 billion from $5.405 billion. The FactSet consensus was for EPS of $4.20 and revenue of $6.291 billion. “During the quarter, consumer demand continued to outpace supply, driven by consumer desire for personal transportation and ongoing manufacturing supply chain disruptions,” the company said in a statement. “New vehicle inventory remains at historically low levels, which combined with strong execution, has supported record profitability.” CEO Mike Jackson said they expect the pent-up demand to support sales for the foreseeable future. New vehicle revenue was flat compared to the prior year and down 3% compared to the third quarter of 2019, before the outbreak of the pandemic. Used vehicle revenue rose 53% from a year ago and was up 67% compared to the third quarter of 2019. Shares have gained 67.6% in the year to date, while the S&P 500 has gained 21%.
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