First Trust Advisors LP Acquires Shares of 328,977 Autohome Inc. $ATHM

Key Points

• First Trust Advisors LP acquired 328,977 shares of Autohome, valued at approximately $5.7 million and representing about 0.29% of the company. Institutional investors collectively own 63.08% of Autohome.
• Analyst sentiment is largely negative: Autohome has a consensus “Reduce” rating from five analysts, with an average price target of $17.15; recent reports included downgrades to “Sell” or “Hold.”
• Autohome’s CTO and CFO sold shares at $4.35 each to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards. The company also paid a special dividend of $0.66 per share.

First Trust Advisors LP bought a new position in Autohome Inc. (NYSE:ATHM - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 328,977 shares of the information services provider's stock, valued at approximately $5,714,000. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.29% of Autohome as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd raised its holdings in Autohome by 42.2% in the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 185,882 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $4,794,000 after acquiring an additional 55,167 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in Autohome by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 338,720 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $8,736,000 after purchasing an additional 1,197 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its stake in Autohome by 5.0% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 9,168 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $236,000 after purchasing an additional 438 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in shares of Autohome in the 2nd quarter worth $1,086,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Autohome in the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Institutional investors own 63.08% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research downgraded Autohome from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Autohome in a report on Friday, July 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Autohome from $20.00 to $17.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. HSBC cut shares of Autohome from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $17.30 target price on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Autohome from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 25th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Autohome presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $17.15.

Insider Activity

In related news, CTO Bibo Xiang sold 10,508 shares of the firm'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 value 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 trade represents a 14.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 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 that occurred on Friday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.35, for a total transaction of $105,705.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer 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 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 owned by corporate insiders.

Autohome Stock Performance

Autohome stock opened at $23.25 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $2.68 billion, a PE ratio of 17.75 and a beta of 0.23. Autohome Inc. has a one year low of $15.57 and a one year high of $29.92. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $19.40 and a 200 day moving average of $19.42.

Autohome Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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 payout ratio is currently 183.97%.

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.

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