Auto Trader Group (LON:AUTO) Hits New 1-Year High - Should You Buy?

Auto Trader Group plc (LON:AUTO - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as GBX 920 ($12.38) and last traded at GBX 914.28 ($12.31), with a volume of 3075475 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 908.42 ($12.23).

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on AUTO. Berenberg Bank reiterated a "hold" rating and set a GBX 830 ($11.17) target price on shares of Auto Trader Group in a report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an "underweight" rating and set a GBX 746 ($10.04) price target on shares of Auto Trader Group in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Auto Trader Group currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of GBX 864.25 ($11.63).

Auto Trader Group Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.26, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a current ratio of 1.66. The firm has a market cap of £6.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.95, a P/E/G ratio of 3.99 and a beta of 0.78. The business's 50-day simple moving average is GBX 814.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 798.15.

Auto Trader Group (LON:AUTO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 29th. The company reported GBX 31.66 ($0.43) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Auto Trader Group had a net margin of 45.00% and a return on equity of 47.03%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Auto Trader Group plc will post 32.7973074 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Nathan Coe sold 2,083,252 shares of Auto Trader Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 386 ($5.20), for a total transaction of £8,041,352.72 ($10,822,816.58). Insiders own 1.04% of the company's stock.

Auto Trader Group Company Profile

About Auto Trader Auto Trader Group plc is the UK's largest automotive platform. It listed on the London Stock Exchange in March 2015 and is a member of the FTSE 100 Index. Auto Trader's purpose is Driving Change Together. Responsibly. Auto Trader is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive culture, it aims to build stronger partnerships with its customers and use its voice and influence to drive more environmentally friendly vehicle choices. With the largest number of car buyers and the largest choice of trusted stock, Auto Trader's marketplace sits at the heart of the UK car buying process.