Auto Trader Group (LON:AUTO) Share Price Breaks Below 50-Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Auto Trader shares fell below their 50-day moving average, trading as low as GBX 463.80 before closing at GBX 470.80, with approximately 3.29 million shares changing hands.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: the stock has a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of GBX 562.43, with targets ranging from GBX 440 to GBX 640.
• Insiders sold shares in July, including Nathan Coe’s £348,685 sale and Jamie Warner’s £161,431 sale; corporate insiders collectively own 3.61% of the company.

Auto Trader Group plc (LON:AUTO - Get Free Report)'s stock price passed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of GBX 504.49 and traded as low as GBX 463.80. Auto Trader Group shares last traded at GBX 470.80, with a volume of 3,285,025 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have issued reports on AUTO. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Auto Trader Group from GBX 830 to GBX 535 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Jefferies Financial Group raised Auto Trader Group to a "buy" rating and upped their target price for the company from GBX 545 to GBX 640 in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Auto Trader Group from GBX 445 to GBX 440 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Auto Trader Group has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of GBX 562.43.

Auto Trader Group Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 51.83. The company has a market capitalization of £3.59 billion, a PE ratio of 13.74, a PEG ratio of 3.99 and a beta of 0.69. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is GBX 504.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 491.89.

Insider Activity at Auto Trader Group

In related news, insider Nathan Coe sold 70,158 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 497, for a total value of £348,685.26. Also, insider Jamie Warner sold 32,481 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 497, for a total value of £161,430.57. 3.61% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.

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