Spain’s credit rating upgraded to ’A+’ by S&P on strong growth
Investing.com - Stephens raised its price target on Kar Auction (NYSE:KAR) to $35.00 from $32.00 on Wednesday, while maintaining an Overweight rating on the stock. According to InvestingPro data, the stock is trading near its 52-week high of $29.64, having delivered an impressive 84.46% return over the past year. Analysis suggests the stock is currently trading above its Fair Value.
The price target increase follows Kar Auction’s announcement Tuesday evening that it will purchase 53% of its Series A Convertible Preferred Stock from Apex Partners and Periphas Capital for $559 million, representing an implied repurchase/conversion price of $29.70 per share. The $3.14 billion market cap company has maintained a strong financial position, with InvestingPro rating its overall financial health as GREAT. Get access to 10+ additional ProTips and comprehensive analysis with InvestingPro.
The transaction eliminates the requirement for Kar Auction to pay three quarters of dividends worth $0.93 per share, effectively reducing the equivalent stock repurchase price to $28.77, compared to Tuesday’s closing price of $29.55.
On an as-converted basis, the Series A preferred stock represents 35.7 million shares, or 25.1% of Kar Auction’s 142 million fully-diluted shares. Upon completion of the transaction, Kar Auction is estimated to have approximately 122.2 million shares outstanding.
Stephens calculates that Kar Auction is effectively buying back 13.4% of itself at $28.77 per share, and estimates the transaction will be 12 cents accretive to earnings in 2026 on a pro forma basis.
In other recent news, OpenLane Inc. reported its second-quarter 2025 earnings, surpassing market expectations with an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.33, compared to the forecasted $0.22. The company also reported revenue of $482 million, exceeding the expected $454.5 million. BofA Securities responded to these strong results by raising its price target for Kar Auction to $29.00 from $26.00, while maintaining a Neutral rating. The firm noted that OpenLane’s revenue of $481.7 million and EBITDA of $86.7 million exceeded their estimates of $453.5 million and $78.7 million, respectively.
Additionally, JPMorgan raised its price target for Kar Auction to $25.00 from $22.00, citing the company’s unified product portfolio and strong brand positioning. The firm maintained a Neutral rating on the stock, highlighting the impact of investments in on-ground sales force and go-to-market initiatives. These developments have reportedly created opportunities for increased market share across various geographies. Investors may find these updates significant when considering their investment strategies.
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