Auction Technology Group (LON:ATG) Trading 13% Higher – Here’s What Happened

Auction Technology Group plc (LON:ATG) shares rose 13% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as GBX 370 and last traded at GBX 363.30. Approximately 2,343,193 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 135% from the average daily volume of 996,750 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 321.50.

Key Auction Technology Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Auction Technology Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: FitzWalter has increased/considered increasing its takeover bid, a development that typically drives takeover premiums and raises the likelihood of a deal completing. Auction Technology shares rise as FitzWalter increases takeover bid
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s largest shareholder has tabled what reports describe as a twelfth bid, cited at about £491m — a concrete escalation in the offer sequence that can boost deal probability and push the share price higher. Auction Technology Group’s biggest shareholder tables twelfth bid worth £491m
• Neutral Sentiment: Media reports show slightly different valuations for the updated offer (articles cite ~£491m and ~$658m), highlighting currency conversion and reporting variation rather than new company fundamentals. Investors should check official company/offer notices for firm numbers. FitzWalter Capital raises buyout bid for UK’s Auction Technology to $658 million
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the higher offer signals, the process remains uncertain (previous rounds and ongoing negotiations mean no guaranteed outcome); if the bid stalls or is rejected, the share premium could reverse. MarketWatch and other outlets note the announcements are linked to shareholder/offer developments rather than a completed transaction. Auction Technology Shares Jump After Shareholder Indicates Higher Offer Proposal

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on ATG shares. Berenberg Bank decreased their price target on Auction Technology Group from GBX 560 to GBX 460 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Auction Technology Group from GBX 690 to GBX 695 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Auction Technology Group from GBX 415 to GBX 315 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Peel Hunt lowered their price target on shares of Auction Technology Group from GBX 730 to GBX 460 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of GBX 549.

Auction Technology Group Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.16. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is GBX 291.14 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 339.11. The company has a market cap of £438.34 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.06 and a beta of 1.29.

About Auction Technology Group

Auction Technology Group plc (“ATG”) is the operator of the world’s leading marketplaces and auction services for curated online auctions, seamlessly connecting bidders from around the world to over 3,800 trusted auction houses across two major sectors: Industrial & Commercial (“I&C”) and Art & Antiques (“A&A”).

The Group powers eight online marketplaces and listing sites using its proprietary auction platform technology, hosting in excess of 70,000 live and timed auctions each year. ATG has been supporting the auction industry since 1971 and the Group has offices in the UK, US and Germany.