LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB) have earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the fourteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have assigned a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $96.27.

A number of research firms recently issued reports on LYB. StockNews.com upgraded LyondellBasell Industries from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 24th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $105.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $104.00 to $92.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $100.00 to $94.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price target on LyondellBasell Industries from $97.00 to $85.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 9th.

LyondellBasell Industries Stock Performance

Shares of LyondellBasell Industries stock opened at $74.14 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 2.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. LyondellBasell Industries has a 52 week low of $72.93 and a 52 week high of $107.02. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $81.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $90.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.28, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.05.

LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 1st. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.88 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.98 by ($0.10). The company had revenue of $10.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.60 billion. LyondellBasell Industries had a return on equity of 17.05% and a net margin of 5.29%. LyondellBasell Industries’s revenue was down 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.46 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that LyondellBasell Industries will post 7.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

LyondellBasell Industries Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 9th. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd were issued a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.23%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 2nd. LyondellBasell Industries’s dividend payout ratio is presently 81.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at LyondellBasell Industries

In related news, Director Robin W.T. Buchanan bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, December 13th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $76.06 per share, for a total transaction of $380,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 18,175 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,382,390.50. This represents a 37.95 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.11% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On LyondellBasell Industries

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Rockland Trust Co. boosted its position in LyondellBasell Industries by 0.9% during the third quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 13,070 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $1,253,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. Petredis Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in LyondellBasell Industries by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Petredis Investment Advisors LLC now owns 23,100 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $2,215,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV increased its holdings in LyondellBasell Industries by 25.5% during the 3rd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 601 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators raised its position in LyondellBasell Industries by 3.4% during the second quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 4,055 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $388,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fiduciary Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 6.5% in the second quarter. Fiduciary Group LLC now owns 2,204 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $211,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.20% of the company’s stock.

LyondellBasell Industries Company Profile

LyondellBasell Industries N.V. operates as a chemical company in the United States, Germany, Mexico, Italy, Poland, France, Japan, China, the Netherlands, and internationally. The company operates in six segments: Olefins and PolyolefinsAmericas; Olefins and PolyolefinsEurope, Asia, International; Intermediates and Derivatives; Advanced Polymer Solutions; Refining; and Technology.