Renaissance Technologies LLC Invests $2.42 Million in Autohome Inc. $ATHM

Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in Autohome Inc. (NYSE:ATHM) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 139,200 shares of the information services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,418,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of ATHM. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in Autohome by 5.0% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 9,168 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $236,000 after purchasing an additional 438 shares in the last quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD grew its position in shares of Autohome by 10.1% during the 4th 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 increased its holdings in shares of Autohome by 20.7% in the fourth quarter. Guinness Asset Management LTD now owns 3,271 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 560 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp increased its holdings in shares of Autohome by 5.7% in the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 11,101 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $247,000 after purchasing an additional 601 shares during the period. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Autohome by 30.5% in the third 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. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 63.08% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Autohome Trading Up 3.2%

Shares of Autohome stock opened at $23.45 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.70 billion, a PE ratio of 17.90 and a beta of 0.23. Autohome Inc. has a 12 month low of $15.57 and a 12 month high of $29.92. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $19.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $19.42.

Autohome Announces Dividend

The firm 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 of this dividend was Thursday, July 2nd. Autohome’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 183.97%.

Insider Activity at Autohome

In related news, CTO Bibo Xiang sold 10,508 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.35, for a total transaction 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible 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 stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 169,940 shares in the company, valued at approximately $739,239. This represents a 12.51% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Company insiders own 5.70% of the company’s stock.

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.