Lsb Industries (NYSE:LXU) Shares Gap Down – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Lsb Industries Inc. (NYSE:LXU) gapped down prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $14.99, but opened at $14.00. Lsb Industries shares last traded at $13.6430, with a volume of 314,819 shares traded.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on LXU. Weiss Ratings upgraded Lsb Industries from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. UBS Group raised their target price on Lsb Industries from $9.75 to $16.50 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $14.00 target price (up from $13.00) on shares of Lsb Industries in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Lsb Industries from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Lsb Industries from $11.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Lsb Industries has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $15.17.

Lsb Industries Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 2.61 and a current ratio of 2.78. The firm has a market cap of $967.46 million, a P/E ratio of 39.58 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a 50-day moving average of $13.04 and a 200 day moving average of $10.38.

Lsb Industries (NYSE:LXU) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The conglomerate reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $165.05 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $153.88 million. Lsb Industries had a return on equity of 4.90% and a net margin of 4.00%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Lsb Industries Inc. will post -0.18 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Barry H. Golsen sold 17,813 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.04, for a total transaction of $178,842.52. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 165,615 shares of company stock worth $1,664,284. Company insiders own 4.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lsb Industries

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Lsb Industries during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its holdings in Lsb Industries by 2,900.0% during the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,500 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 4,350 shares in the last quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lsb Industries during the 3rd quarter valued at $42,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in Lsb Industries by 90.3% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 6,019 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 2,856 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV acquired a new stake in Lsb Industries during the 4th quarter valued at $97,000. 73.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lsb Industries Company Profile

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.