Should You Buy ACV Auctions Inc (ACVA) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.
Conclusion
Buy
Latest Price
7.880
1 Day change
-1.99%
52 Week Range
22.090
Analysis Updated At
2026/01/28
Buy for a long-term beginner *at today’s price zone* (~$8.35 pre-market), because ACVA is trading near key support (S1 ~$8.23) after a prolonged downtrend while fundamentals are improving (double-digit revenue growth and narrowing losses) and recent institutional accumulation (Iridian) supports the thesis. Expect choppiness near-term, but for an impatient investor who wants to enter now, this level is a reasonable long-term entry rather than waiting for a “perfect” bottom.
**Intellectia Proprietary Trading Signals**
- [AI Stock Picker](module://ai_stock_pick): no signal on given stock today.
- [SwingMax](module://swingmax): No signal on given stock recently.
Technical Analysis
Trend is still bearish.
- Moving averages: Bearish stack (SMA_200 > SMA_20 > SMA_5) confirms a downtrend.
- MACD: Histogram -0.0564 and negatively expanding → bearish momentum is still building, not reversing yet.
- RSI(6): 36.26 → weak/near-oversold but not a strong reversal signal by itself.
- Key levels: Pivot 8.599 (overhead). Support S1 8.23 then S2 8.00; resistance R1 8.967 then R2 9.195. With price ~8.35, the stock is closer to support than resistance, making risk/reward more favorable for a long-term entry despite the bearish trend.
Options Data
Bullish
Open Interest Put-Call Ratio
Bullish
Option Volume Put-Call Ratio
Options positioning is aggressively bullish (puts are minimal vs calls).
- Open interest put/call: 0.02 (extremely call-heavy) → market is positioned for upside.
- Volume put/call: 0.16 → bullish daily sentiment as well.
- IV: 30D IV ~67.33 with IV percentile ~73.2 → options are pricing elevated movement; sentiment is optimistic but also implies larger swings.
Interpretation: sentiment is clearly bullish/speculative; that supports a buy bias, but elevated IV aligns with potential volatility around catalysts (notably earnings).
- Competitive/structural risk: AI disintermediation risk cited by Jefferies as a potential multiple cap.
- No supportive insider or hedge-fund trend signal in the provided data (both neutral).
Financial Performance
Latest reported quarter: **2025/Q3**
- Revenue: **$199.56M**, **+16.48% YoY** (solid growth).
- Net income: **-$24.47M**, improved **+52.63% YoY** (loss narrowing meaningfully).
- EPS: **-0.14**, improved **+40% YoY**.
- Gross margin: **47.92%**, up **2.15% YoY**.
Summary: growth remains healthy while profitability is improving (losses narrowing + higher gross margin), which supports a long-term buy case at a depressed price level.
Growth
Profitability
Efficiency
Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends
Recent trend: price targets were broadly cut after Q3 and expectations reset, with some rating downgrades, but targets still generally imply upside from ~$8.35.
- Barclays: Equal Weight; PT raised to $8 (from $7) on 2026-01-21.
- Jefferies: Downgraded to Hold from Buy; PT $9 (2025-12-11).
- Citi: Buy; PT cut to $13 from $17 (2025-11-21).
- Goldman: Buy; PT cut to $13 from $21 (2025-11-06).
- JPMorgan: Overweight; PT cut to $11 from $18 (2025-11-06).
- Barrington: downgraded to Market Perform (2025-11-06).
Wall St. “pros”: upside to most PTs vs current price, improving fundamentals, digital auction share gains potential.
Wall St. “cons”: near-term unit growth/margins pressured, investments reset profitability trajectory, and mixed dealer wholesale environment.
Wall Street analysts forecast ACVA stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for ACVA is 11.32 USD with a low forecast of 6 USD and a high forecast of 20 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
10 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast ACVA stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for ACVA is 11.32 USD with a low forecast of 6 USD and a high forecast of 20 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
6 Buy
3 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 8.040
Low
6
Averages
11.32
High
20
Current: 8.040
Low
6
Averages
11.32
High
20
Barclays
Equal Weight
maintain
$7 -> $8
AI Analysis
2026-01-21
Reason
Barclays
Price Target
$7 -> $8
AI Analysis
2026-01-21
maintain
Equal Weight
Reason
Barclays raised the firm's price target on ACV Auctions to $8 from $7 and keeps an Equal Weight rating on the shares. The firm adjusted targets in the auto retail group as part of its Q4 outlook. It broadly lowered estimates across the sector on "soft" auto sales unit pressures. However, trade checks suggest the used vehicle market has good momentum, the analyst tells investors in a research note.
Jefferies
John Colantuoni
Buy -> Hold
downgrade
$9
2025-12-11
Reason
Jefferies
John Colantuoni
Price Target
$9
2025-12-11
downgrade
Buy -> Hold
Reason
Jefferies analyst John Colantuoni downgraded ACV Auctions to Hold from Buy with an unchanged price target of $9. The firm recommends staying selective across the internet sector in 2026. Incremental investments could limit margin expansion and concerns around artificial intelligence disintermediation could limit multiple appreciation, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Jefferies cites ACV's slowing market share gains for the downgrade.
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