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

Auto Trader Group plc (LON:AUTO) shares hit a new 52-week low on Thursday . The stock traded as low as GBX 425.50 and last traded at GBX 428.30, with a volume of 241087063 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 444.40.

Auto Trader Group News Summary

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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Auto Trader Group Trading Down 2.9%

The stock has a market cap of £3.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.98, a P/E/G ratio of 3.99 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 50.60, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a current ratio of 1.73. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 484.82 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 538.21.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Megan Quinn purchased 10,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 462 per share, for a total transaction of £50,358. Also, insider Jasvinder Gakhal purchased 5,554 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 ninety days, insiders bought 64,850 shares of company stock valued at $29,418,479. 3.31% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Auto Trader Group Company Profile

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.