Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) Stock Gets Price Target Reduction from Morgan Stanley

Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) had its target price decreased by Morgan Stanley from $161.00 to $105.00 in a research report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an equal weight rating on the specialty chemicals company’s stock.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Albemarle from $109.00 to $95.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on Albemarle from $129.00 to $119.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 6th. Zacks Research cut Albemarle from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Argus cut their price objective on Albemarle from $230.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Truist Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $170.00 price target (down from $185.00) on shares of Albemarle in a research note on Friday, November 6th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $174.05.

Albemarle Price Performance

Shares of ALB stock opened at $96.14 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 2.34 and a quick ratio of 1.57. The company has a market capitalization of $11.35 billion, a PE ratio of 23.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.34. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $105.23 and its two-hundred day moving average is $146.54. Albemarle has a 12 month low of $89.77 and a 12 month high of $221.00.

Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.05. Albemarle had a net margin of 10.40% and a return on equity of 14.91%. The business had revenue of $1.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.52 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted ($0.19) EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.8% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Albemarle will post 10.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Albemarle Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 18th. Albemarle’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.61%.

Institutional Trading of Albemarle

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Addison Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Albemarle during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Valley National Advisers Inc. boosted its stake in Albemarle by 3,700.0% in the third quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 304 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 296 shares in the last quarter. NFSG Corp boosted its stake in Albemarle by 470.0% in the third quarter. NFSG Corp now owns 342 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 282 shares in the last quarter. Fiduciary Financial Advisors purchased a new position in shares of Albemarle during the second quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp purchased a new position in Albemarle during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $42,000. 92.87% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Albemarle News

These are some of the ALB news items 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.