8:43 am, November 6, 2025
Auto Trader bosses have paid tribute to the firm’s staff after announcing a rise in both profit and turnover for the first half of the year.
The automotive giant has today published its half year results via the London Stock Exchange, covering the six months to the end of September.
The figures show that, including Autorama operations, Auto Trader made a pre-tax profit of £199.3m – up 6% on the same point last year.
At the same time, operating profit also increased by 6% to £200.1m, in a stellar period for the firm.
Meanwhile, revenue rose by 5% to £317.7m, with profit margins up a single percentage point to 63%.
Autorama did continue to make an operating loss, ending the period £1.4m in the red, although this is still a 50% improvement on this time last year.
Bosses say that the overall performance is ‘in line’ with expectations for the period, and the company’s full year outlook ‘remains unchanged’.
Reacting to the results, Nathan Coe, CEO of Auto Trader, said: ‘Our performance over the last six months reflects the dedication of everyone across our business, from our 300 strong account team to our circa 400 data scientists and engineers.
‘It also demonstrates the strength of the relationships that we continue to build with our partners, with more choosing to work with us than ever before.
‘The retail market is increasingly complex and competitive, and we are committed to working with retailers to help them navigate these changes with confidence.
‘Our performance means we’re in the privileged position to continue to invest in market leading technology, data and solutions to help all our partners maximise their performance and meet buyer expectations.
‘The launch of Buying Signals, and our decision to place Deal Builder at the centre of the buying journey on Autotrader, is testament to this commitment.
‘We believe these innovations will have a significant impact on our partners’ businesses.
‘Unlocking Deal Builder for everyone and combining it with rich actionable insights about the consumer will help retailers convert more deals into sales, maximise the profit on every vehicle, and drive sales efficiency.’
Auto Trader continues to dominate market
In period covered by the accounts, a record 14,080 retailers chose to partner with Auto Trader, marking a year-on-year rise of 1%.
Cross platform visits also rose by 1% to 83.3 million per month, which bosses say is nine times higher than their nearest rival – believed to be Motors.
Overall, customers spent a combined 559 million cross platform minutes on Auto Trader per month, making up more than three quarters of all time spent on automotive marketplaces.
The accounts also reveal that average revenue per retailer rose 5% (£142) to a staggering £2,994, as a result of ‘the continued strong adoption of Auto Trader’s products and services’.
The firm even continued to grow in the new car sector, despite what it called a ‘subdued’ market. It increased the volume of new car stock on the platform by 10% to 22,000 with total deliveries increasing 16% to 3,687.
The latest filing comes just days after Auto Trader launched its new Buying Signals tool, which tells dealers how likely a lead is to convert to a sale.
That followed the roll out of its Deal Builder service, which aims to unlock a faster and more efficient sales process across the market.
Bosses say that the firm is continuing to create AI-powered products, with the aim of helping dealers and buyers alike
Coe added: ‘In 2025, we continued our decade-long journey of creating AI-powered products that improve the buying and selling experience on Autotrader and help drive improved performance, efficiency and time-saving for our customers.
‘This year, over 10,000 of our customers have used our Co-Driver product to deliver over 1 million improved vehicle adverts, enhancing the buying journey.
‘By combining this technology with our proprietary data, alongside scaling our Deal Builder product, we’re improving car buying and selling across the UK.
‘As a result of this strategic progress, we remain confident in the outlook, supported by our strong market position, customer value, and unique data and technology.’
Throughout the period, Auto Trader returned £162.2m to shareholders through share buybacks and dividends, compared to £122.2m in the first half of last year.
It has also declared an interim dividend of 3.8p per share, up from 3.5p.
The full stock exchange submission can be found here.
