Autohome Inc. (NYSE:ATHM) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Reduce” from Analysts

Shares of Autohome Inc. (NYSE:ATHM) have been assigned an average rating of “Reduce” from the five analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have given a hold rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $17.15.

ATHM has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Autohome from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 25th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Autohome in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Autohome from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. HSBC downgraded Autohome from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $17.30 price target on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Autohome from $20.00 to $17.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd.

Autohome Stock Performance

Shares of Autohome stock opened at $23.30 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.68 billion, a PE ratio of 17.79 and a beta of 0.23. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $19.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $19.44. Autohome has a one year low of $15.57 and a one year high of $29.92.

Autohome Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a special dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 2nd. Autohome’s dividend payout ratio is 183.97%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its holdings in shares of Autohome by 33.4% in the 4th quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 418,500 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $9,316,000 after acquiring an additional 104,800 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Autohome during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,014,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Autohome by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,682,506 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $59,713,000 after buying an additional 39,969 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in Autohome by 210.0% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 56,595 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $1,260,000 after acquiring an additional 38,341 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ABN Amro Investment Solutions increased its stake in shares of Autohome by 47.6% during the first quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions now owns 308,171 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $5,353,000 after purchasing an additional 99,422 shares in the last quarter. 63.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Autohome

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.