Arkema (OTCMKTS:ARKAY) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume - Still a Buy?

Arkema SA (OTCMKTS:ARKAY - Get Free Report) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 59,237 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 305% from the previous session's volume of 14,639 shares.The stock last traded at $76.86 and had previously closed at $74.74.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on ARKAY shares. Barclays downgraded Arkema from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of Arkema in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Arkema to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, June 16th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on Arkema in a report on Thursday, April 24th. They issued an "underperform" rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold".

Arkema Trading Up 0.1%

The firm has a market cap of $5.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.02, a PEG ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $72.73 and a 200-day moving average price of $76.68. The company has a current ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

Arkema (OTCMKTS:ARKAY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The basic materials company reported $1.37 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.45 by ($0.08). Arkema had a net margin of 3.40% and a return on equity of 7.42%. The business had revenue of $2.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.44 billion. As a group, research analysts expect that Arkema SA will post 8.36 EPS for the current year.

Arkema Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 12th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd were paid a $3.4274 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 22nd. This represents a dividend yield of 4.47%. Arkema's dividend payout ratio is presently 67.63%.

About Arkema

Arkema SA manufactures and sells specialty chemicals and advanced materials worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Adhesive Solutions, Advanced Materials and Coating Solutions, and Intermediates. The Adhesive Solutions segment provides solutions for construction, renovation of buildings, DIY, durable goods, and packaging and non-woven applications; and supplies technologies used in building activities for businesses and individuals, including sealants, tiles, flooring adhesives and waterproofing systems, and technologies used in industry, which include automotive, textiles, glazing, flexible and rigid packaging, and hygiene markets.