Sound Financial Strategies Group LLC Makes New Investment in Albemarle Corporation $ALB

Sound Financial Strategies Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund bought 5,121 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock, valued at approximately $724,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ALB. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Albemarle during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $138,723,000. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Albemarle by 22,047.4% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 713,812 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $44,613,000 after acquiring an additional 710,589 shares during the period. Samlyn Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Albemarle in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $47,088,000. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec acquired a new stake in shares of Albemarle in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $41,239,000. Finally, Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Albemarle by 60.9% in the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 784,083 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $49,138,000 after acquiring an additional 296,861 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.87% of the company’s stock.

Albemarle Trading Up 2.7%

Shares of Albemarle stock opened at $203.72 on Friday. Albemarle Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $53.70 and a fifty-two week high of $221.00. The firm has a market cap of $24.02 billion, a PE ratio of -59.74, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.36. The business’s fifty day moving average is $179.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $154.41. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 2.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23.

Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.95 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.24 by $1.71. Albemarle had a positive return on equity of 5.22% and a negative net margin of 5.00%.The company had revenue of $1.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.34 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted ($0.18) EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 32.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Albemarle Corporation will post 8.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Albemarle Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Friday, June 12th will be given a $0.405 dividend. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 12th. Albemarle’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -47.51%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on ALB shares. Evercore upped their price target on Albemarle from $100.00 to $180.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Albemarle from $165.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. Citigroup upped their price target on Albemarle from $210.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday. Truist Financial upped their price target on Albemarle from $245.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Scotiabank upgraded Albemarle from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $85.00 to $200.00 in a report on Monday, January 12th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $189.04.

Albemarle News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Albemarle this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target on Albemarle to $225 from $210, suggesting further upside potential even though the rating remained neutral. Benzinga report on Citigroup target hike
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analysts increased price targets this week, including Wells Fargo, Robert W. Baird, and Mizuho, signaling improving sentiment toward Albemarle’s outlook. Tickerreport.com
• Positive Sentiment: Albemarle beat Q1 estimates with EPS of $2.95 versus $1.24 expected, while revenue also topped forecasts, driven by stronger lithium pricing and volumes. Zacks value-stock article
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage around the earnings call highlighted strong momentum, reinforcing the view that Albemarle’s operating trends improved meaningfully in the quarter. TipRanks earnings call summary
• Neutral Sentiment: One article compared Albemarle with LyondellBasell from a value-investing perspective, but it was more of a relative valuation discussion than a direct catalyst. Zacks comparison article

Insider Buying and Selling at Albemarle

In related news, CEO J Kent Masters sold 11,783 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.81, for a total value of $2,012,654.23. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 134,628 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,995,808.68. This trade represents a 8.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Albemarle Company Profile

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.