Autotrader has returned \u00a3330m to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks during the first half of its financial year, even as it embarks on a major transformation into an AI-powered platform.<\/p>\n
The UK’s largest automotive marketplace reported earnings per share up 5% to 18.10 pence for the six months to September 2026, despite flat revenues of \u00a3313.4m.<\/p>\n
Revenue excluding vehicle sales edged up marginally to \u00a3301.8m from \u00a3301.2m, as the Manchester-based business worked through retailer feedback on its Deal Builder product roll-out.<\/p>\n
Retailer forecourt numbers recovered through the period, rising from 13,600 at the end of March to 13,900 by September. Live car listings also increased, largely driven by private adverts exclusive to Autotrader.<\/p>\n
Nathan Coe, chief executive of Autotrader, said: “Our first-half performance reflects the resilience of our business and the strength of our trusted brand with UK car buyers, who spend 12 times more time on Autotrader than our nearest competitor. I’m excited by the transformation underway as we evolve Autotrader into an AI-native platform.”<\/p>\n
The company is transitioning from a listings marketplace into what it calls Autotrader Intelligence, combining proprietary data with 57 specialised AI models. The platform aims to deliver conversational AI search for consumers, automated inventory management for retailers, and enhanced digital retailing for vehicle manufacturers.<\/p>\n
Autotrader purchased 55.7m shares at an average price of 483.4 pence during the half, representing 6.7% of issued share capital. In July, it amended and extended its debt facility, increasing capacity to \u00a3600m. The group had drawn \u00a3335m of debt by September, pushing leverage to 0.8 times earnings.<\/p>\n
Operating profit fell 1% to \u00a3198.5m, but margins held steady at 63%. The board proposed an interim dividend of 4.2 pence per share, up 11% on the prior year.<\/p>\n
Autotrader maintained full-year operating profit guidance of \u00a3395m to \u00a3415m, with accelerating revenue growth expected in the second half.<\/p>\n
The company said it expects AI investment to be self-funded, ensuring consistency in long-term margins.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Revenue flat as car marketplace shifts to AI-native model<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":264565,"featured_media":2172692,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[127714,120781,50204],"coauthors":[116163],"class_list":["post-2182188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital","category-markets","category-technology","tag-featured-story","tag-northwest"],"yoast_head":"\n