Autohome Inc. (NYSE:ATHM) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

Autohome Inc. (NYSE:ATHM) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 2,249,740 shares, a growth of 21.9% from the December 15th total of 1,845,391 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 494,335 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.6 days. Currently, 2.0% of the company’s shares are sold short. Currently, 2.0% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 494,335 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.6 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ATHM. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Autohome in the second quarter worth $29,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Autohome by 124.4% in the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,333 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 739 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC boosted its stake in Autohome by 40.6% in the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,466 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 423 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its position in Autohome by 42.4% during the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 2,212 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 659 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Guinness Asset Management LTD grew its position in Autohome by 20.9% during the 3rd quarter. Guinness Asset Management LTD now owns 2,711 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $79,000 after purchasing an additional 469 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 63.08% of the company’s stock.

Autohome Price Performance

NYSE ATHM traded down $0.10 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $23.14. 554,861 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 368,275. Autohome has a 52-week low of $21.78 and a 52-week high of $32.70. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $23.37 and a 200 day simple moving average of $26.25. The firm has a market cap of $2.70 billion, a PE ratio of 13.61 and a beta of 0.08.

Autohome Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a special dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be given a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 31st. Autohome’s payout ratio is currently 102.94%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ATHM has been the subject of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of Autohome from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $36.00 to $28.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Autohome in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Autohome from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Autohome has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $28.00.

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.