Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC) Shares Gap Up – Time to Buy?

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE:HMC)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $27.54, but opened at $28.95. Honda Motor shares last traded at $28.48, with a volume of 132,768 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Honda Motor from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 2nd. UBS Group raised shares of Honda Motor from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th.

Honda Motor Trading Up 0.4 %

The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.35 billion, a PE ratio of 7.02 and a beta of 0.58. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $27.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $29.49.

Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.86 by ($0.43). Honda Motor had a net margin of 4.53% and a return on equity of 7.53%. The firm had revenue of $36.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.60 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Honda Motor Co., Ltd. will post 4.02 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Hedges Asset Management LLC raised its position in Honda Motor by 91.8% during the fourth quarter. Hedges Asset Management LLC now owns 28,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $799,000 after acquiring an additional 13,400 shares during the period. Equity Investment Corp lifted its position in shares of Honda Motor by 1.8% in the third quarter. Equity Investment Corp now owns 2,097,616 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,557,000 after acquiring an additional 36,221 shares in the last quarter. Persium Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Honda Motor in the fourth quarter worth approximately $628,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Honda Motor by 1,906.3% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 193,712 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,105,000 after purchasing an additional 184,057 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Honda Motor by 9.6% in the 3rd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 22,406 shares of the company’s stock valued at $711,000 after purchasing an additional 1,966 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 5.32% of the company’s stock.

About Honda Motor

Honda Motor Co, Ltd. develops, manufactures, and distributes motorcycles, automobiles, power, and other products in Japan, North America, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Motorcycle Business, Automobile Business, Financial Services Business, and Power Product and Other Businesses.