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

Key Points

• Analysts hold a bearish-to-neutral view: Autohome has a consensus “Reduce” rating, with two sell and four hold recommendations. The average 12-month price target is $17.77, below the reported share price of $22.19.
• Recent coverage was generally downgraded or lowered, including Bank of America’s move to “underperform,” HSBC’s cut to “hold,” and JPMorgan’s price-target reduction to $17.
• Autohome paid a special dividend of $0.66 per share, while institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.08% of the stock and company insiders own 5.70%.

Shares of Autohome Inc. (NYSE:ATHM - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Reduce" from the six research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and four have given a hold recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $17.7667.

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Autohome from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Bank of America lowered shares of Autohome from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $19.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Tuesday. HSBC cut shares of Autohome from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $17.30 price objective for the company. in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Autohome in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased 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.

Autohome Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE ATHM opened at $22.19 on Friday. Autohome has a 12 month low of $15.57 and a 12 month high of $29.92. The company has a market cap of $2.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.13 and a beta of 0.23. The business's 50 day moving average is $20.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $19.42.

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 issued a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 2nd. Autohome's dividend payout ratio is currently 183.97%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CTO Bibo Xiang sold 10,508 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 value of $45,709.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 62,368 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $271,300.80. This trade represents a 14.42% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 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 the business'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 sale, the chief financial officer owned 169,940 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $739,239. The trade was 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. 5.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Autohome

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Autohome in the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 1,112 shares during the last quarter. Guinness Asset Management LTD lifted its stake 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 buying an additional 560 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its stake 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 buying an additional 674 shares during the period. Finally, Virtus Advisers LLC bought a new position in Autohome during the third quarter worth about $106,000. 63.08% of the stock is currently 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.

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