Autohome (NYSE:ATHM) Lowered to Hold at Benchmark

Autohome (NYSE:ATHM) was downgraded by Benchmark from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports.

Separately, Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $28.00 price target (down previously from $31.00) on shares of Autohome in a research note on Friday, July 19th.

Autohome Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE ATHM opened at $24.88 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $27.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $26.60. Autohome has a 1-year low of $23.81 and a 1-year high of $34.10.

Autohome (NYSE:ATHM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The information services provider reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.03. Autohome had a return on equity of 8.24% and a net margin of 25.69%. The company had revenue of $222.85 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $217.23 million. Sell-side analysts expect that Autohome will post 1.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Autohome

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in shares of Autohome by 78.2% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 27,481 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $771,000 after purchasing an additional 12,058 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Autohome during the 4th quarter worth $220,000. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its holdings in Autohome by 7.2% during the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 443,980 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $12,458,000 after acquiring an additional 29,846 shares in the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund grew its position in shares of Autohome by 58.2% in the fourth quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 108,240 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $3,037,000 after purchasing an additional 39,806 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Autohome by 23.9% in the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 738,975 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $20,598,000 after acquiring an additional 142,413 shares in the last quarter. 63.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Autohome Company Profile

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.