Company
Auto Trader Group PLC
LON:AUTO
We’ve always been good at connecting car sellers with the right buyers. But over the years, how we do this has altered beyond all recognition. That’s because consumer behaviours have changed. You might remember us as a magazine, but today we’re a digital business used by millions of people. As we’re the UK’s largest digital automotive marketplace, our data can help sellers really understand buyers. And that means we’re not just about classified ads — our services and support help automotive traders buy, sell, market and manage their stock successfully.
97 stories
Auto Trader grows revenue but profits fall slightly
The car retailer said it anticipates average retailer forecourts to be marginally down year-on-year but forecast stronger average revenue per retailer, with the full-year growth rate likely to be slightly above that achieved in the first ha
Auto Trader driven higher by upgrade to 'buy' at UBS
The UBS analysts said: "The company is a quality compounder and has delivered an 8% historical revenue compound annual growth rate through a combination of price increases and product innovation"
Auto Trader Group sells Carzone marketplace for €30mln consideration
Sale to Mediahuis ends 20-year combination of two major auto marketplaces
Auto Trader posts record year and sales as profits almost double
Despite cost pressures, the company expects operating profit margins to remain at 70%
Auto Trader beefs up its leasing offering with acquisition of Autorama
Auto Trader said it would use its brand to accelerate Autorama's recent expansion beyond light commercial vehicles into leasing new cars
Auto Trader expects to benefit as Covid-19 drives 'dramatic' shift online in car buying
Free adverts during the lockdown period sent profits plunging
Archive
FTSE 100 closes in positive territory, bolstered by BT Group plc
Britain's top share index finished ahead by around seven points, or 0.10%, at 7,088
Focus on UiPath results ahead of Blue Prism interims
Tech earnings are subdued across both sides of the pond this week. A highlight will be maiden quarterly results from UiPath, tomorrow.
Auto Trader expects big dent in vehicle sales volumes under UK coronavirus lockdowns
The digital platform operator said profits will be hit when it offers free advertising in February
Auto Trader upgraded to ‘buy’ by Liberum over online market prospects
COVID-19 has accelerated the shift to online transitions for cars as well
Auto Trader returns to free advertising as UK lockdowns return
Car retailers were among the non-essential chains forced to close in the new coronavirus lockdowns in England and Wales
Auto Trader downgraded to ‘hold’ by Liberum but upgraded to ‘add’ by Peel Hunt on recovery outlook
Analysts at Liberum see a “murky” outlook while those at Peel Hunt are encouraged by post-lockdown trading
Auto Trader downgraded to ‘neutral’ by UBS over slow transition to transaction platform
Progress on transitioning from a marketing to a transaction platform could not be announced for another year
Auto Trader skids slightly, predicts near-term revenue decline as car market recovers from coronavirus impact
The car selling website said visitors and enquiries at its recently reopened car showrooms had “rebounded strongly and are now at record levels” following the relaxation of lockdown restrictions at the start of June
Auto Trader offers 25% discount in June after reopening
Car showrooms in England are allowed to resume trading as of 1 June
Auto Trader’s free advertising offer continues to May
The online vehicles seller already offered free advertising packages to retailers during April and will now continue to next month
Auto Trader launches placing to provide support during coronavirus crisis
Debt is expected to rise as advertising packages during April are free, resulting in a record number of vehicles being displayed
Auto Trader skids as it defers payments and charges amid coronavirus crisis
As part of efforts to support its customers, the auto marketplace will not be charging retailers for their advertising packages during April and will also allow customers to defer payment of their advertising costs for March for 30 days
Goldman Sachs upgrades Auto Trader as sees “more positive outlook” for media sector
Ascential was a top pick for its “mispriced structural growth and turnaround potential” and Relx was also highlighted as “mispriced”
Auto Trader upgraded by UBS based on long-term opportunities
In November, Auto Trader revealed pre-tax profits had increased 12% to £127.7mln in the half-year
Auto Trader's dominance 'unchallenged and unlikely to change', says Liberum
The online car reseller platform's market share is five times that of the next player, Gumtree and as the leader in the market, Auto Trader “benefits from strong virtuous circle effects and very high barriers to entry”
Auto Trader shares move in reverse on Peel Hunt downgrade
Peel Hunt cut its rating on the stock to ‘hold’ from ‘buy’ and moved its target price to 570p from under review.
Auto Trader downgraded by UBS due to 'limited potential upside” and risk of a no-deal Brexit
UBS cut its rating on the shares to ‘sell’ from ‘neutral’ but raised its target price to 540p from 530p.
Archive
FTSE 100 closes in the red as global equity markets lag
The UK's premier shares index finished the afternoon session off nearly 31 points at 7,367
Investments and investor services
Auto Trader profits rise but shares drop as it warns of weaker revenue from manufacturers
The company warned that it expects revenue from its manufacturing clients to decline in the first half
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FTSE 100 closes higher led by defensive stocks
Footsie closed up 39 at 7,259, while mid-cap cousin FTSE 250 went the other direction, shedding over six points to close at 19,065
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Aviva and CMC Markets in spotlight for busy Thursday
Investors look forward to a strategy update from Aviva's new boss, meanwhile, they are braced for CMC Markets results after the recent profit warning.
Archive
US jobs data, ECB policy decision to make for up meagre flow of corporate news in coming week
Asides from the macro news, the Week Ahead also brings the latest quarterly FTSE indexes reshuffle, a strategy update from insurer Aviva, and results from Auto Trader
Auto Trader skids as Citi shifts down into ‘neutral’ after strong share performance
The investment bank maintained that the car marketplace was “a high-quality asset”, however after an impressive year for the share price analysts said the risk/reward profile was now “more balanced”
Change of driver for Auto Trader as CEO Trevor Mather unveils retirement plans
Trevor Mather will step down next March after what will have been seven years in charge, and he will be replaced by current finance chief Nathan Coe
Liberum likens Auto Trader to Google and Yellow Pages as it hikes car ad platform’s price target
Like Google and Yellow Pages, Auto Trader is the number one in its field, and market leaders in these types of sectors tend to “receive disproportionate benefits due to a virtuous circle effect”
Auto Trader downgraded to ‘neutral’ by UBS on valuation grounds after strong run in the shares
Analysts at the Swiss bank saw “limited” further upside to the shares in the next 12 months unless the company either captured the £250mln opportunity from its transition to a transaction platform or saw a Brexit deal provide a boost to the
Peel Hunt shuffles ratings in media sector, Auto Trader and Euromoney dip on downgrades
The broker also slapped a downgrade on Moneysupermarket, while YouGov and Huntsworth were given better treatment and upgraded to 'buy' ratings
Jefferies sees massive potential in new car listings for Auto Trader
Further down the line, analysts think the potential to add more new car listings represents a massive opportunity, but for the time being, they believe the stock is fairly valued
Investments and investor services
FTSE 100 finishes in red on China worries and as US benchmarks tumble
The UK blue-chip benchmark finished around 41 points lower at 6,692
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Next to take lead on Thursday with post-Christmas trading update
The clothing retailer is the first of a deluge of updates from the sector expected over the next few weeks, with many forecasting a sharp downturn for the traditionally busy trading period
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High street updates, US jobs, UK PMIs to provide focus after New Year holidays
There will be some key data from the US and UK at the start of the new year, and Christmas retail trading news will be a dominant focus notably from Next PLC
Caffyns sees flat half year revenues but used cars and aftersales boost profits
The firm reported an underlying pre-tax profit for the 6 months to 30 September of £1.2mln, up from £743,000 the year before, while revenues fell slightly to £105mln from £106.5mln
Auto Trader shares motor as it ups full year revenue guidance after strong first half
The firm said revenue growth for the full year was “likely to exceed previous guidance”, with Average Revenue Per Retailer forecourt to date outperforming expectations
Auto Trader upgraded to ‘buy’ by UBS, says recent sell-off “overdone”
Analysts said the risk from the recent purchase of Motors.co.uk by eBay had been “overplayed” and they continued to see upside
Barclays ups target price for Auto Trader but downgrades to ‘Equal Weight’ on lack of upside
Analysts said factors that could impact the company’s earnings forecasts had not gone away but were better understood following a “reassuring” set of results in June
UBS pumps the brakes on Auto Trader with downgrade to ‘neutral’ following strong share performance
The bank also lifted its target price for the firm to 445p from 425p, saying their +8% average revenue per retailer (ARPR) growth outlook for 2019 and 2020 “appears secure”
Greatland Gold jumps on upbeat rock chip results from Black Hills licence in Australia
A look at some of the biggest risers and fallers on the London market this Tuesday
Auto Trader partners with Cox Automotive to launch new wholesale vehicle marketplace
Cox and Auto Trader will transfer their retailer-to-retailer businesses to the new joint venture, which is to be called Dealer Auction
Berenberg upgrades Auto Trader to ‘hold’ as “expectations are more reasonable”
German bank Berenberg upgraded the FTSE 250-listed firm to ‘hold’ from ‘sell’ and increased its price target to 365p from 350p
Goldstone Resources surges after confirming high-grade gold at Akrokeri
A look at some of the biggest risers and fallers in London on Thursday
Auto Trader reports solid final results but predicts continued decline in car market
The FTSE 250 company, which specialises in advertising second-hand cars, reported that pre-tax profits had risen 10% to £210mln in its full-year results
FTSE 100 ends in the red as Brexit wrangling weighs on sentiment
The UK's premier share index closed down 7.97 points, or 0.10% at 7,704
Investments and investor services
CMC Markets, Auto Trader and MITIE all in focus ahead of Thursday results
One City broker expects CMC to reveal a 22% jump in pre-tax profit in its results tomorrow.
Archive
It's the scrag-end of the corporate reporting season, but an update from WH Smith could excite
Aside from a trading update from WH Smith, the Week Ahead will also bring full-year results from the likes of AO World, CMC Markets, Auto Trader, and MITIE Group
Logging on: Jefferies International assumes coverage of a number of UK internet comparison sites
The American investment bank has started coverage on Auto Trader Group, Moneysupermarket.com, Rightmove, and ZPG, the owner of Zoopla
Investments and investor services
Mitchells & Butlers expected to show a slowdown in sales
Capita is among the blue-chip names on Thursday's agenda.
UBS upgrade helps drive shares in Autotrader higher, with a change up to ‘neutral’ on valuation grounds
In a note to clients, UBS’s analysts pointed out: “Since their FY17 results on the 8th June, Autotrader’s share price has underperformed the FTSE100 by 13%”
Auto Trader shares fall on car market worries, despite tripled dividend on solid full-year profit growth
For the year ended March 31, the FTSE 250-listed group posted a 23% jump in pre-tax profit to £193.4mln, up from £155.0mln a year earlier, as revenue increased by 9% to £311.4mln, up from £281.6mln
Deutsche Bank expects Just Eat’s Hungryhouse acquisition to get green light from regulators
The CMA announced last month it would be looking into the deal amid concerns that it might leave restaurants worse off
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Day ahead: Polls open for general election, Boohoo to report robust first quarter results
The general election will be the dominant theme swaying markets on Thursday
Archive
It's all (about) the election stupid
Election to dominate as polls suggest a turbulent week ahead while cancer forum will put spotlight on pharma
BP ticks higher as shareholders back CEO's reduced pay at AGM
A look at some of the biggest London-listed risers and fallers today
Organic strategy can drive growth at Auto Trader, says Liberum
In a world of M&A, Auto Trader has more of its own gears to go through yet according to the City broker
Sirius Minerals named among the ‘top tips’ for 2017
Here we take a look at the medium and small cap companies included among Fleet Street's top stock market tips for 2017.
AstraZeneca a highlight for a busy City schedule for Thursday
AstraZeneca, Vedanta, Halfords, and SuperGroup were among those in Thursday's diary.
Week Ahead: US election takes centre stage
Aside from the election, several UK retailers have results due next week
Archive
Brokers: Barclays like media firms, just not ITV
ITV and Inmarsat were the only two media and telecoms firms downgraded by Barclays in its latest note on the industry
Fresnillo among 50 firms set to pierce dividend gloom
Silver miner among 50 UK-listed companies set to boost divis more than 10% in each of next three years
Investments and investor services
FTSE100 ends a disappointing week on a lower note
Although hardly the scary falls one might expect on Friday 13th, the FTSE100 lost around 60 points to 6,115.
Investments and investor services
Risers & Fallers: Auto Trader, Oilex, Kennedy Ventures, Reach4Entertainment, North River
Below are the main news-driven share price movements at 4pm.
Friday's agenda: Investors hope Rotork can hit already lowered hopes
Rotork and economic data will be on the agenda on Friday
Week Ahead: TalkTalk has some explaining to do
There are bigger companies reporting this week, such as Sainsbury's, Prudential, SABMiller and Rolls-Royce, but few will command as much coverage as TalkTalk,
Friday's agenda: Auto Trader has the road to itself
Auto Trader is set to declare its first set of results as a public company with Numis predicting EBITDA of £156mln.