Autohome Inc. (NYSE:ATHM) Given Consensus Rating of “Reduce” by Brokerages

Autohome Inc. (NYSE:ATHM) has been given an average rating of “Reduce” by the five ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and three have given a hold recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $17.15.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Benchmark reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Autohome in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Autohome from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 25th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Autohome from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Autohome from $20.00 to $17.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Autohome from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th.

Autohome Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of ATHM stock opened at $17.60 on Monday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $17.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $20.19. Autohome has a 52 week low of $15.57 and a 52 week high of $29.92. The company has a market cap of $2.03 billion, a PE ratio of 13.44 and a beta of 0.23.

Autohome (NYSE:ATHM) last issued its earnings results on Sunday, February 15th. The information services provider reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter. Autohome had a net margin of 17.91% and a return on equity of 5.01%. The business had revenue of $208.96 million for the quarter. Equities research analysts expect that Autohome will post 1.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Autohome Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 2nd. Autohome’s payout ratio is 133.59%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Autohome

In related news, CTO Bibo Xiang sold 10,508 shares of Autohome stock in a transaction on Friday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.35, for a total transaction of $45,709.80. Following the sale, the chief technology officer owned 62,368 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $271,300.80. The trade was a 14.42% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO Yan Zeng sold 24,300 shares of Autohome stock in a transaction on Friday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.35, for a total transaction of $105,705.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 169,940 shares in the company, valued at $739,239. This trade represents a 12.51% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders own 5.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ATHM. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd grew its holdings in Autohome by 42.2% during the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 185,882 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $4,794,000 after acquiring an additional 55,167 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in Autohome by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 338,720 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $8,736,000 after acquiring an additional 1,197 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its holdings in Autohome by 5.0% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 9,168 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $236,000 after acquiring an additional 438 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in Autohome during the 2nd quarter worth $1,086,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Autohome during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. 63.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Autohome Company Profile

Autohome Inc (NYSE: ATHM) operates one of China’s leading online destinations for automobile consumers, offering a comprehensive suite of digital platforms and services throughout the vehicle ownership lifecycle. Headquartered in Beijing, the company’s core website and mobile applications deliver news, reviews, pricing information, photos, videos and interactive tools to help prospective buyers evaluate new and used vehicles. By aggregating rich editorial content with user-generated ratings and expert analyses, Autohome seeks to guide consumers through research, purchase and after-sales decision-making.

In addition to its consumer-facing properties, Autohome provides automakers, dealers and service providers with integrated digital marketing and e-commerce solutions.