UK's Auto Trader Group FY revenue slightly misses estimates

Autotrader

21/05/2026 07:09

Overview

UK automotive marketplace's full-yr revenue rose 4%, slightly missing analyst expectations

Operating profit for the year increased 4%

Company returned £463 mln to shareholders via dividends and share buybacks

Outlook

Auto Trader expects FY 2027 group operating profit of £395 mln to £415 mln

Company anticipates at least high single digit Basic EPS growth in FY 2027

Auto Trader expects to return c.£600 mln to shareholders in FY 2027

Result Drivers

ARPR GROWTH - Revenue growth was driven by a 5% increase in average revenue per retailer, mainly due to the April 2025 pricing and product event

CHALLENGING TRADING CONDITIONS - Revenue growth slowed in H2 and Q4 due to more difficult trading conditions and retailer feedback on Deal Builder rollout

AI AND PRODUCT INNOVATION - Rollout of AI-powered products such as Co-Driver and Deal Builder contributed to improved retailer engagement and higher quality enquiries

Company press release: ID:nRSU1617Fa

Key Details

Metric
Beat/Miss
Actual
Consensus Estimate
FY Revenue
Slight Miss*
GBP 624.30 mln
GBP 629.99 mln (14 Analysts)
FY Operating Profit
GBP 392.70 mln
FY Pretax Profit
GBP 388.80 mln


*Applies to a deviation of less than 1%; not applicable for per-share numbers.

Analyst Coverage

The current average analyst rating on the shares is "hold" and the breakdown of recommendations is 4 "strong buy" or "buy", 10 "hold" and 2 "sell" or "strong sell"

The average consensus recommendation for the online services peer group is "buy."

Wall Street's median 12-month price target for Autotrader Group PLC is GBp610.00, about 22.9% above its May 20 closing price of GBp496.30

The stock recently traded at 13 times the next 12-month earnings vs. a P/E of 14 three months ago

For questions concerning the data in this report, contact Estimates.Support@lseg.com. For any other questions or feedback, contact reuters.support@thomsonreuters.com.

(This story was created using Reuters automation and AI based on LSEG and company data. It was checked and edited by a Reuters journalist prior to publication.)