OPENLANE (NYSE:KAR) Hits New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Shares of OPENLANE, Inc. (NYSE:KAR) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $30.95 and last traded at $30.8860, with a volume of 225113 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $30.55.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on KAR shares. Zacks Research raised shares of OPENLANE from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Wall Street Zen downgraded OPENLANE from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on OPENLANE from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of OPENLANE in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Stephens increased their price objective on shares of OPENLANE from $32.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $30.20.

OPENLANE Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $3.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.47, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.25. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $26.52 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $26.51.

OPENLANE (NYSE:KAR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The specialty retailer reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $498.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $464.40 million. OPENLANE had a net margin of 9.00% and a return on equity of 12.42%. The firm’s revenue was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.26 EPS. OPENLANE has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.220-1.26 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that OPENLANE, Inc. will post 0.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Charles S. Coleman sold 88,062 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.00, for a total transaction of $2,289,612.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 53,474 shares in the company, valued at $1,390,324. The trade was a 62.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.32% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of OPENLANE

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in OPENLANE during the 2nd quarter valued at $293,000. Comerica Bank boosted its position in OPENLANE by 37.8% during the first quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 88,086 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,698,000 after purchasing an additional 24,144 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its stake in OPENLANE by 30.0% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 126,826 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $2,445,000 after purchasing an additional 29,261 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. bought a new position in OPENLANE in the first quarter worth about $2,222,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in shares of OPENLANE by 30.2% during the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,049,475 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $25,660,000 after buying an additional 243,463 shares during the last quarter. 99.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About OPENLANE

OPENLANE (NYSE: KAR) operates a leading digital marketplace and full-service remarketing platform for used vehicles. The company provides both online and physical auction solutions, leveraging proprietary technology to connect sellers—including automotive manufacturers, dealer groups, rental and fleet operators—to a broad network of independent and franchise dealers. Through its platform, users can access real-time bidding, vehicle inspection reports, pricing guides and comprehensive data analytics to optimize transaction outcomes.

The company’s core offerings include a cloud-based auction management system, digital lane software, mobile bidding applications and marketing services designed to maximize vehicle turn times and resale values.