Summary Box: AutoNation reports 29 percent jump in 2nd-quarter income; vehicle prices climb

Summary Box: AutoNation posts higher 2Q income

EARNINGS UP: AutoNation Inc., the country’s largest dealership chain, posted a 29 percent increase in second-quarter net income on Thursday.

PRICES RISE: Sales of new and used cars rose, while the average price per vehicle climbed by $1,000 during the quarter.

RECOVERY REVS UP: Improving credit markets should help push industrywide sales even higher in the third quarter, despite the absence of the successful Cash for Clunkers program last year, CEO Mike Jackson said.