London, March 13, 2026, 17:54 GMT
Autotrader Group jumped roughly 1.5% to 494.8 pence Friday, outpacing a London market weighed down by oil-driven inflation concerns. Investors were reacting to a new holding update from Baillie Gifford and news of another company buyback. The FTSE 100, meanwhile, slipped 0.4% for the session.
Autotrader’s climb on Friday barely dents its slump; shares are still off roughly 35% for the year and trading well under the 52-week peak of 920p. Investors now look ahead to May 21, when the company drops its full-year results.
The company has relied on cash returns as it expands further into online retail tech and AI. For the first half, it reported £162.2 million given back to shareholders via buybacks and dividends. Over 75% of time spent on automotive marketplaces is on its own platform, according to the half-year update. Rivals mentioned in its disclosures include Motors.co.uk, Cazoo, and CarGurus.
Baillie Gifford’s stake dropped to 4.996% of voting rights from 5.053%, just under a crucial UK disclosure threshold, according to a Friday filing. The fund reported it crossed the line on March 11 and informed the issuer a day later.
On Thursday, Autotrader repurchased 769,278 shares for cancellation, paying an average price of 488.9622p; the trades fell between 480.50p and 496.00p. Following the buyback — which reduces the total stock in circulation — the number of voting rights still on the table stands at 825,123,061. Investors track that figure to gauge their proportional stakes.
The operating environment has been more stable than the stock’s performance might indicate. Autotrader’s report this week showed February used-car transactions dipped 2% from a year ago. Cars, on average, moved every 27 days—one day quicker than last year. Demand held steady and supply ticked 1% higher.
Management isn’t wavering. Back in February, chief customer officer Ian Plummer predicted, “2026 will be another strong year for used car sales.” CEO Nathan Coe echoed that optimism at November’s half-year results, telling investors the group still feels “confident in the outlook.” AutoTrader PLC
But analyst targets are all over the place. UBS’s Joseph Barnet-Lamb sits at 470p with a sell. Giles Thorne at Jefferies calls it a hold at 650p. Overweight for Barclays’ Andrew Ross at 825p. Then Deutsche Numis’s Gareth Davies, much higher, puts a buy at 1,040p. That’s a hefty range, underscoring just how split sentiment is on the stock.
Friday’s bounce kept the shares trading above where the most recent buyback took place, though they’re still nowhere near last year’s highs. May’s numbers are up next.
