Autohome (NYSE:ATHM) Shares Gap Up on Earnings Beat

Autohome Inc. (NYSE:ATHM)’s share price gapped up prior to trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock had previously closed at $30.11, but opened at $32.02. Autohome shares last traded at $31.56, with a volume of 399,140 shares trading hands.

The information services provider reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.49 by $0.01. Autohome had a return on equity of 7.79% and a net margin of 24.36%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Autohome to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. CLSA lowered Autohome from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Autohome from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $28.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Autohome

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vontobel Holding Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Autohome during the third quarter worth about $219,000. BlueCrest Capital Management Ltd bought a new stake in Autohome in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $228,000. Walleye Capital LLC bought a new stake in Autohome in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $231,000. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its position in Autohome by 31.2% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 9,310 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $304,000 after acquiring an additional 2,212 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Asset Management One Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Autohome by 37.4% in the fourth quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 9,742 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $261,000 after purchasing an additional 2,652 shares during the last quarter. 63.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Autohome Price Performance

The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $27.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $27.65. The firm has a market cap of $3.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.60 and a beta of 0.18.

About Autohome

Autohome Inc operates as an online destination for automobile consumers in the People’s Republic of China. The company delivers interactive content and tools to automobile consumers through its three websites, autohome.com.cn, che168.com, and ttpai.cn on PCs, mobile devices, mobile applications, and mini apps.