Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC) Hits New 1-Year Low on Analyst Downgrade

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE:HMC) reached a new 52-week low on Tuesday after Zacks Research downgraded the stock from a hold rating to a strong sell rating. The stock traded as low as $23.43 and last traded at $23.3970, with a volume of 671402 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $23.84.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on HMC. Nomura upgraded Honda Motor to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on Honda Motor in a report on Thursday, February 12th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $25.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered Honda Motor from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Wall Street Zen lowered Honda Motor from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Honda Motor in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $25.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Honda Motor

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HMC. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in Honda Motor by 8.6% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 285,203 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,737,000 after buying an additional 22,479 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in Honda Motor by 29.5% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 39,558 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,073,000 after buying an additional 9,001 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC grew its position in Honda Motor by 5.8% during the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 8,552 shares of the company’s stock worth $232,000 after buying an additional 468 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its position in Honda Motor by 41.4% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 342,491 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,292,000 after buying an additional 100,330 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in Honda Motor by 121.2% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,119 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,000 after buying an additional 1,161 shares in the last quarter. 5.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Honda Motor Trading Up 4.2%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The business has a 50-day moving average of $27.95 and a two-hundred day moving average of $29.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.75, a P/E/G ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 0.43.

Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.52 by $0.24. The company had revenue of $29.99 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $33.34 billion. Honda Motor had a return on equity of 4.01% and a net margin of 2.34%. Research analysts predict that Honda Motor Co., Ltd. will post 3.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Honda Motor Company Profile

Honda Motor Co, Ltd. is a global manufacturer and mobility company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, founded in 1948 by Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa. The company’s core businesses include the design, manufacture and sale of automobiles and motorcycles, along with a diverse portfolio of power products, engines and related components. Honda also operates in aviation through Honda Aircraft Company and offers financial services that support vehicle sales and leasing.

In automobiles, Honda is known for a range of passenger cars, crossovers and light trucks, and in motorcycles it is one of the world’s leading producers by volume and model breadth.