Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) Price Target Raised to $140.00

Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) had its price target lifted by Citigroup from $125.00 to $140.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the specialty chemicals company’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on ALB. Wall Street Zen cut Albemarle from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 7th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Albemarle from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Scotiabank dropped their price objective on shares of Albemarle from $190.00 to $165.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on Albemarle from $129.00 to $119.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 6th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $175.00 price target on shares of Albemarle in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $174.05.

Albemarle Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of Albemarle stock opened at $96.14 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 2.34, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $105.23 and a 200 day simple moving average of $146.54. Albemarle has a 12-month low of $89.77 and a 12-month high of $221.00. The company has a market capitalization of $11.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.34.

Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.52 billion. Albemarle had a return on equity of 14.91% and a net margin of 10.40%. The company’s revenue was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned ($0.19) EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Albemarle will post 10.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Albemarle Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 18th will be issued a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 18th. Albemarle’s dividend payout ratio is 39.61%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albemarle

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Addison Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Albemarle during the second quarter valued at $28,000. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA purchased a new position in shares of Albemarle during the first quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Fiduciary Financial Advisors purchased a new position in shares of Albemarle during the second quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Valley National Advisers Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Albemarle by 3,700.0% during the third quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 304 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 296 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new position in Albemarle during the second quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Institutional investors own 92.87% of the company’s stock.

Recent Albemarle Headlines

These are some of the ALB headlines that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target for ALB, signaling greater potential upside in its valuation, though the reported headline did not give the new target. Read more about Citigroup’s price target increase
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank cut its EPS forecasts to $10.36 for FY2026 from $11.64 and to $9.98 for FY2027 from $14.15. The lower projections may weigh on sentiment, although the bank maintained its “Sector Outperform” rating and $165 price target. Read more about analyst estimates for Albemarle
• Negative Sentiment: UBS Group and Morgan Stanley each cut their price targets for Albemarle, adding to concerns about the stock’s near-term upside. The reports did not specify the revised targets in the headlines. Read more about UBS’s price target cut Read more about Morgan Stanley’s price target cut

About Albemarle

Albemarle Corporation is a specialty chemicals company that produces lithium, bromine and refining catalysts. Its products serve industries including energy storage, transportation, electronics, petroleum refining and pharmaceuticals. The company supplies lithium compounds used in rechargeable batteries and other applications. It also makes bromine-based products for uses such as flame retardants and water treatment, along with catalysts used in refining petroleum. Albemarle traces its history to 1887 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.