Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) Upgraded by Zacks Research to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note published on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Albemarle from $145.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Evercore lifted their price objective on Albemarle from $100.00 to $180.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Albemarle from $165.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Albemarle from $245.00 to $253.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn lowered Albemarle from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $188.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Albemarle presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $194.13.

Albemarle Price Performance

Shares of ALB stock opened at $205.66 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $180.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $156.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 2.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The firm has a market cap of $24.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -60.31, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.36. Albemarle has a 12 month low of $53.70 and a 12 month high of $221.00.

Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.95 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.24 by $1.71. The firm had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.34 billion. Albemarle had a positive return on equity of 5.22% and a negative net margin of 5.00%.The company’s revenue was up 32.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.18) earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Albemarle will post 9.22 EPS for the current year.

Albemarle Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.405 per share. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 12th. Albemarle’s payout ratio is -47.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Albemarle

In other news, CEO J Kent Masters sold 11,783 shares of Albemarle stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.81, for a total transaction of $2,012,654.23. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 134,628 shares in the company, valued at $22,995,808.68. The trade was a 8.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.42% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albemarle

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Strategic Advocates LLC bought a new position in shares of Albemarle during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. MH & Associates Securities Management Corp ADV bought a new position in shares of Albemarle during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. BOKF NA lifted its holdings in shares of Albemarle by 5,771.4% during the 3rd quarter. BOKF NA now owns 411 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 404 shares in the last quarter. Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Albemarle during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Albemarle by 536.7% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 573 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 483 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.87% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Albemarle

Here are the key news stories impacting Albemarle this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank raised its price target on Albemarle to $250 and kept a buy rating, signaling continued upside potential. Article link
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada lifted its target to $253 and reiterated outperform, while Jefferies and Argus also boosted targets, reinforcing a bullish Street view. Article link
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks added ALB to its Rank #1 Strong Buy list and highlighted strong earnings estimate revisions and momentum strength. Article link
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary points to Albemarle’s 26% three-month rally, supported by lithium price tailwinds, solid demand, and an improved earnings outlook. Article link
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles simply note elevated investor attention and compare ALB’s performance with the broader basic materials sector, without adding a major new catalyst. Article link

About Albemarle

Albemarle Corporation is a leading global specialty chemicals company primarily engaged in the production and distribution of lithium, bromine, and catalysts. Its lithium segment supplies key components used in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, portable electronics, and grid storage systems. The company’s bromine specialty products serve a wide range of industries, including oil and gas drilling fluids, fire safety solutions, and water treatment. In its catalysts division, Albemarle provides products for petroleum refining, chemical processing and emissions control.

Founded in 1994 as a spin-off from Ethyl Corporation, Albemarle has grown through strategic acquisitions and capacity expansions to become one of the world’s foremost chemical producers.