Autohome (NYSE:ATHM) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Autohome from “hold” to “strong buy,” although the broader analyst consensus remains “hold” with an average price target of $19.95.
• Autohome shares opened at $20.09, down 1.3%, with a $2.31 billion market capitalization; the stock has traded between $15.57 and $28.12 over the past year.
• Insiders sold 49,304 shares worth approximately $260,818 over the past 90 days, while institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.08% of the company.

Autohome (NYSE:ATHM - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report issued on Tuesday, Zacks reports.

Several other brokerages have also recently weighed in on ATHM. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Autohome from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $26.50 price objective on shares of Autohome in a report on Wednesday. Bank of America cut shares of Autohome from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $19.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Autohome from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $19.95.

Autohome Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of Autohome stock opened at $20.09 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.31 and a beta of 0.27. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $21.65 and a 200 day simple moving average of $19.85. Autohome has a 12-month low of $15.57 and a 12-month high of $28.12.

Insider Activity

In related news, CTO Bibo Xiang sold 5,588 shares of Autohome stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.29, for a total value of $29,560.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 56,780 shares of the company's stock, valued at $300,366.20. The trade was a 8.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Quan Long sold 34,400 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.29, for a total transaction of $181,976.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 175,984 shares in the company, valued at approximately $930,955.36. This trade represents a 16.35% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 49,304 shares of company stock worth $260,818. 5.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Autohome

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. First Trust Advisors LP acquired a new stake in shares of Autohome in the first quarter valued at approximately $5,714,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in Autohome in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $5,293,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in Autohome by 159.7% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 364,818 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $6,337,000 after buying an additional 224,318 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new position in Autohome during the 1st quarter worth $2,418,000. Finally, ABN Amro Investment Solutions lifted its holdings in Autohome by 47.6% during the 1st quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions now owns 308,171 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $5,353,000 after buying an additional 99,422 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.08% of the company's stock.

About Autohome

Autohome Inc NYSE: ATHM operates an online platform serving automobile consumers and industry participants in China. The company provides automotive news, reviews, buying guides, videos and other user-generated or professionally produced content designed to help consumers research vehicles and make purchasing decisions.

Through its websites and mobile applications, including Autohome and Che168, the company offers vehicle search and comparison tools, pricing information, listings for new and used vehicles, dealer information and online communities.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.