Auto Trader Group (LON:AUTO) Sets New 1-Year Low – Time to Sell?

Auto Trader Group plc (LON:AUTO)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as GBX 425.50 and last traded at GBX 428.30, with a volume of 241087063 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 444.40.

More Auto Trader Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Auto Trader Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Chairman Matt Davies bought 5,643 shares at GBX 443, adding to a cluster of recent insider purchases that can signal confidence in the business and its valuation. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Other insiders also recently bought shares, including Jamie Warner, Jasvinder Gakhal, Megan Quinn, Nathan Coe, Geeta Gopalan, and Adam Jay, reinforcing the message that management may see value after the stock’s pullback.
• Neutral Sentiment: Auto Trader reported solid quarterly results, with EPS of GBX 34.17 and revenue of £624.3 million, while maintaining strong profitability metrics such as a 60.53% return on equity.
• Negative Sentiment: Berenberg Bank cut its price target from GBX 580 to GBX 510 and kept a “hold” rating, adding to a broader trend of cautious analyst views.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent analyst actions from JPMorgan and UBS also leaned negative, contributing to pressure on the shares even as insiders were buying.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AUTO has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on Auto Trader Group from GBX 850 to GBX 816 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 27th. Citigroup lowered their price target on Auto Trader Group from GBX 880 to GBX 526 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Auto Trader Group from GBX 515 to GBX 445 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 22nd. UBS Group reaffirmed a “sell” rating and set a GBX 470 price target on shares of Auto Trader Group in a report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Berenberg Bank lowered their price target on Auto Trader Group from GBX 580 to GBX 510 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Auto Trader Group presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of GBX 553.40.

Auto Trader Group Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of £3.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.99 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a quick ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 50.60. The business has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 484.82 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 538.21.

Auto Trader Group (LON:AUTO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The company reported GBX 34.17 EPS for the quarter. Auto Trader Group had a return on equity of 60.53% and a net margin of 47.08%.The company had revenue of £624.30 million during the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Auto Trader Group plc will post 32.7973074 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Auto Trader Group

In other Auto Trader Group news, insider Megan Quinn purchased 10,900 shares of Auto Trader Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 462 per share, for a total transaction of £50,358. Also, insider Jasvinder Gakhal acquired 5,554 shares of Auto Trader Group stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 448 per share, for a total transaction of £24,881.92. In the last 90 days, insiders bought 64,850 shares of company stock valued at $29,418,479. Company insiders own 3.31% of the company’s stock.

About Auto Trader Group

Autotrader Group plc is the UK’s largest automotive marketplace and a leading digital platform for the automotive industry. Listed on the London Stock Exchange since March 2015, the company is a member of the FTSE 100 Index.

Autotrader’s purpose is Driving Change Together. Responsibly. The company uses advanced data science, artificial intelligence and scalable technology to improve how vehicles are bought and sold, while building stronger partnerships with its customers and the wider automotive ecosystem.