Autohome (NYSE:ATHM) Trading Up 5.6% – What’s Next?

Shares of Autohome Inc. (NYSE:ATHM) rose 5.6% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $19.75 and last traded at $19.72. Approximately 139,693 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 80% from the average session volume of 705,122 shares. The stock had previously closed at $18.67.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Autohome from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 25th. Weiss Ratings cut Autohome from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Autohome from $20.00 to $17.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Zacks Research lowered Autohome from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, HSBC cut Autohome from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $17.30 target price for the company. in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Autohome has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $17.15.

Autohome Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $2.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.21 and a beta of 0.23. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $18.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $19.59.

Autohome Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. Autohome’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 183.97%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Yan Zeng sold 24,300 shares of Autohome stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 169,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $739,239. The trade was a 12.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 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 dated 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 owned 62,368 shares in the company, valued at $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. Insiders own 5.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ATHM. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its holdings in shares of Autohome by 5.0% in the second 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 in the last quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD raised its stake in Autohome by 10.1% during the fourth quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD now owns 5,714 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $127,000 after purchasing an additional 523 shares in the last quarter. Guinness Asset Management LTD lifted its position in Autohome by 20.7% during the fourth quarter. Guinness Asset Management LTD now owns 3,271 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 560 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp lifted its position in Autohome by 5.7% during the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 11,101 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $247,000 after purchasing an additional 601 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Autohome by 30.5% in the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 2,886 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $82,000 after buying an additional 674 shares in the last quarter. 63.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.