Lsb Industries (NYSE:LXU) Shares Down 6.7% – Should You Sell?

Lsb Industries Inc. (NYSE:LXU)’s stock price was down 6.7% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $10.10 and last traded at $10.1550. Approximately 128,543 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 1,108,817 shares. The stock had previously closed at $10.88.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LXU has been the subject of several recent research reports. UBS Group set a $16.00 target price on shares of Lsb Industries and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Lsb Industries in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on Lsb Industries from $15.00 to $13.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Lsb Industries from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $14.67.

Lsb Industries Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 2.31, a current ratio of 2.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $11.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $12.31. The stock has a market cap of $704.52 million, a PE ratio of 19.57 and a beta of 0.30.

Lsb Industries (NYSE:LXU) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The conglomerate reported ($0.09) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.33 by ($0.42). The company had revenue of $168.09 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $155.45 million. Lsb Industries had a net margin of 5.58% and a return on equity of 6.98%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Lsb Industries Inc. will post 0.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Kristy Carver sold 9,554 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.38, for a total value of $118,278.52. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 47,452 shares in the company, valued at approximately $587,455.76. The trade was a 16.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Lynn F. White sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.80, for a total transaction of $472,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 202,489 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,389,370.20. This trade represents a 16.50% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lsb Industries

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership bought a new stake in shares of Lsb Industries in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $11,458,000. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Lsb Industries during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $4,416,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL increased its position in shares of Lsb Industries by 581.8% during the 4th quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 342,894 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $2,915,000 after purchasing an additional 292,599 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in Lsb Industries by 104.8% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 365,601 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $2,881,000 after buying an additional 187,108 shares during the period. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Lsb Industries by 301.7% during the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 205,236 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,745,000 after buying an additional 154,150 shares during the period. 73.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Lsb Industries

LSB Industries, Inc (NYSE: LXU) is an Oklahoma City–based manufacturer of chemical products serving the agricultural, industrial and defense markets. The company operates primarily through two segments: Fertilizer Solutions and Commodities Solutions. Through its Fertilizer Solutions segment, LSB produces primary nitrogen products—including anhydrous ammonia and technical-grade ammonium nitrate—that are sold to fertilizer distributors and agricultural retailers across North America. Its Commodities Solutions segment manufactures and sells nitric acid, sodium nitrate and other nitrate-based compounds for industrial applications such as mining, water treatment and specialty chemical production, as well as defense-related formulations used in munitions and pyrotechnics.

Incorporated in 1969, LSB Industries has grown from a single production site to multiple manufacturing facilities strategically located in the central United States.