Autohome Inc. (NYSE:ATHM) Given Average Recommendation of “Reduce” by Brokerages

Shares of Autohome Inc. (NYSE:ATHM) have been assigned an average rating of “Reduce” from the six research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and four have issued a hold rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $17.7667.

Several research firms have weighed in on ATHM. Bank of America lowered Autohome from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $19.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Autohome from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. HSBC cut shares of Autohome from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $17.30 price target for the company. in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Autohome from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Autohome from $20.00 to $17.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Yan Zeng sold 24,300 shares of Autohome stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.35, for a total value of $105,705.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 169,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $739,239. This trade represents a 12.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through 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 business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief technology officer owned 62,368 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $271,300.80. This represents a 14.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 5.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Autohome

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Autohome during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its stake in Autohome by 205.9% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,652 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 1,112 shares in the last quarter. Guinness Asset Management LTD grew its position in Autohome by 20.7% in the fourth quarter. Guinness Asset Management LTD now owns 3,271 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $76,000 after acquiring an additional 560 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its position in Autohome by 30.5% in the third quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 2,886 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $82,000 after acquiring an additional 674 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Virtus Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Autohome during the third quarter worth about $106,000. Institutional investors own 63.08% of the company’s stock.

Autohome Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ATHM opened at $22.19 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $20.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $19.42. Autohome has a one year low of $15.57 and a one year high of $29.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.56 billion, a PE ratio of 19.13 and a beta of 0.23.

Autohome Announces Dividend

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

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.