Samuel Cochrane Buys 795 Shares of AutoCanada (TSE:ACQ) Stock

Key Points

• Insider purchase: Director Samuel Cochrane bought 795 shares at an average of C$18.87 on March 30, raising his stake to 17,599 shares (a 4.73% increase) now valued at about C$332,093.
• Market and analyst view: ACQ traded around C$19.00 and carries a consensus "Hold" rating with a C$24.18 target amid several recent price-target cuts and downgrades from major firms (while one boutique firm raised its target).
• Financials and risks: AutoCanada reported C($0.06) EPS for the quarter on C$1.12B revenue, has thin margins and a high debt-to-equity ratio of 409.72, indicating leverage concerns despite a moderate market cap (~C$437M).

AutoCanada Inc. (TSE:ACQ - Get Free Report) insider Samuel Cochrane purchased 795 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 30th. The stock was bought at an average cost of C$18.87 per share, with a total value of C$15,001.65. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider directly owned 17,599 shares of the company's stock, valued at C$332,093.13. This trade represents a 4.73% increase in their position.

AutoCanada Stock Performance

Shares of TSE ACQ traded down C$0.03 during midday trading on Monday, reaching C$19.00. 16,392 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 79,552. The firm has a market cap of C$437.32 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.79, a PEG ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.76. AutoCanada Inc. has a twelve month low of C$14.00 and a twelve month high of C$35.48. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of C$24.87 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$25.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 409.72.

AutoCanada (TSE:ACQ - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 18th. The company reported C($0.06) earnings per share for the quarter. AutoCanada had a net margin of 0.33% and a return on equity of 3.40%. The firm had revenue of C$1.12 billion for the quarter. As a group, analysts anticipate that AutoCanada Inc. will post 2.4311927 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on ACQ. ATB Cormark Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of AutoCanada from C$25.00 to C$22.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce lowered AutoCanada from an "outperform" rating to a "hold" rating and cut their price target for the company from C$34.00 to C$20.00 in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Acumen Capital upped their price target on AutoCanada from C$35.50 to C$39.25 and gave the stock a "speculative buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Canaccord Genuity Group downgraded AutoCanada from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lowered their price target for the stock from C$42.00 to C$22.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on AutoCanada from C$28.00 to C$18.00 in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of C$24.18.

About AutoCanada

AutoCanada Inc operates car dealerships in Canada. The company offers new and used vehicles, spare parts, maintenance services, and customer financing. AutoCanada retails brands such as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Audi, Volkswagen, BMW, Mini, Infiniti, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Fiat, Mitsubishi, and Subaru. The majority of revenue is generated in the new-vehicles sales segment.

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