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Carsales is an internet content & information business based in Australia. Carsales shares (CAR) are listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and all prices are in Australian dollars. Carsales has a trailing 12-month revenue of around $1.1 billion. If you're looking to buy shares, check out the steps below.
How to buy shares in Carsales
To buy shares listed in Australia such as Carsales, you'll need to sign up to a broker with access to the ASX. Our table can help you compare share trading platforms and choose or you can see our list of the best share trading platforms in Australia. Then follow these steps.
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Open and fund your brokerage account. Complete an application with your personal and financial details, including your ID and tax file number. Fund your account with a bank transfer, PayPal or debit card.
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Search for Carsales. Find the share by name or ticker symbol: CAR. Research its history to confirm it's a solid investment against your financial goals.
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Purchase now or later. Buy today with a market order or use a limit order to delay your purchase until Carsales reaches your desired price. Look into dollar-cost averaging to spread out your risk, which smooths out buying at consistent intervals and amounts.
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Decide on how many to buy. At today's price, weigh your budget against a diversified portfolio that can minimise risk through the market's ups and downs.
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Check on your investment. Congratulations, you own a part of Carsales. Optimise your portfolio by tracking how your stock and the business performs with an eye on the long term. You may be eligible for dividends and shareholder voting rights on directors and management that affect your stock.
Carsales shares at a glance
Information last updated 2024-10-05.
| 52-week range | $26.2559 - $38.21 |
|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | $36.366 |
| 200-day moving average | $34.8451 |
| Target price | $36.02 |
| PE ratio | 56.2727 |
| Dividend yield | $0.73 (2.07%) |
| Earnings per share (TTM) | $0.66 |
Where to buy Carsales shares
The value of your investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is no indication of future results.
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Is it a good time to buy Carsales stock?
The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. However, this is not a recommendation. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.
Carsales price performance over time
Historical closes compared with the last close of A$37.75
| 1 week (2024-10-04) | 1.64% |
|---|---|
| 1 month (2024-09-11) | 1.26% |
| 3 months (2024-07-11) | 8.60% |
| 6 months (2024-04-11) | 10.87% |
| 1 year (2023-10-11) | 28.49% |
|---|---|
| 2 years (2022-10-11) | 100.16% |
| 3 years (2021-10-11) | 52.22% |
| 5 years (2019-10-11) | 151.67% |
Is Carsales under- or over-valued?
Valuing Carsales stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of Carsales's overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge the value of a stock.
Carsales's P/E ratio
Carsales's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 56x. In other words, Carsales shares trade at around 56x recent earnings.
That's relatively high compared to, say, the P/E ratio for the ASX over the 12 months to December 2019 (32.14). The high P/E ratio could mean that investors are optimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're over-valued.
Carsales's EBITDA
Carsales's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is $499 million (£0.0 million).
The EBITDA is a measure of a Carsales's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure stock profitability.
Carsales financials
| Revenue TTM | $1.1 billion |
|---|---|
| Operating margin TTM | 38.46% |
| Gross profit TTM | $424.2 million |
| Return on assets TTM | 5.52% |
| Return on equity TTM | 8.62% |
| Profit margin | 22.75% |
| Book value | 7.648 |
| Market capitalisation | $14 billion |
TTM: trailing 12 months
Carsales share dividends
Dividend payout ratio: 101.21% of net profits
Recently Carsales has paid out, on average, around 101.21% of net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 2.07% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), Carsales shareholders could enjoy a 2.07% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In Carsales's case, that would currently equate to about A$0.73 per share.
Carsales's payout ratio would broadly be considered high, and as such this stock could appeal to those looking to generate an income. Bear in mind however that companies should normally also look to re-invest a decent amount of net profits to ensure future growth.
The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 12 September 2024 (the "ex-dividend date").
Carsales share price volatility
Over the last 12 months, Carsales's shares have ranged in value from as little as $26.2559 up to $38.21. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".
Beta measures a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (AU average) beta is 1, while Carsales's is 0.876. This would suggest that Carsales's shares are less volatile than average (for this exchange).
Carsales overview
CAR Group Limited engages in the operation of online automotive, motorcycle, and marine classifieds business in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Chile, China, the United States, and Mexico. The company operates through six segments: Australia " Online Advertising Services; Australia " Data, Research and Services; Investments; North America; Latin America; and Asia segments. The Australia " Online Advertising Services segment offers classified advertising that allows private and dealer customers to advertise automotive and non-automotive goods and services for sale across the carsales network; products, including subscriptions, lead fees, listing fees, and priority placement services; and display advertising services, such as placing advertisements for corporate customers comprising automotive manufacturers and finance companies. The Australia " Data, Research and Services segment offers software as a service, research and reporting, valuation, appraisals, and website development and hosting services, as well as photography services. The Investments segment holds investment in consumer and wholesale tyre markets, as well as provides mobility and vehicle inspection services. The North America segment operates digital non-automotive marketplaces. The Latin America segment digital automotive marketplaces. The Asia segment is involved in digital automotive classified business, as well as provides automotive data and advertising services. The company was formerly known as carsales.com Ltd and changed its name to CAR Group Limited in November 2023. CAR Group Limited was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
Carsales in the news
Frequently asked questions
Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of futures, stocks, ETFs, CFDs, options or any specific provider, service or offering. It should not be relied upon as investment advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks, ETFs and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and therefore are not appropriate for all investors. Trading CFDs comes with a higher risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before making any trades.
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