Arkema (OTCMKTS:ARKAY) Shares Gap Up - Here's Why

Key Points

• Arkema gapped up before the market opened Friday, rising from $69.77 to an open and last trade of $72.50 on light volume (305 shares).
• Analyst sentiment is mixed with an overall "Reduce" consensus, comprising 2 Buys, 3 Holds and 3 Sells, and recent notable moves including Kepler's downgrade (strong-buy to hold), Zacks' downgrade (hold to strong sell) and Goldman Sachs' upgrade (hold to buy).
• Valuation and technicals: market cap $5.51 billion, PE ratio 83.31, and 50-day/200-day moving averages of $67.37 and $62.90, signaling recent price strength despite a high valuation.

Arkema SA (OTCMKTS:ARKAY - Get Free Report) gapped up before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $69.77, but opened at $72.50. Arkema shares last traded at $72.50, with a volume of 305 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on ARKAY. Kepler Capital Markets downgraded shares of Arkema from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Arkema from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Arkema from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Reduce".

Arkema Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $5.51 billion, a PE ratio of 83.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 2.13 and a quick ratio of 1.63. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $67.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $62.90.

About Arkema

Arkema SA is a global specialty chemicals and advanced materials company headquartered in Colombes, France. Established in 2004 as a spin-off from Total's chemicals division, the company offers a broad portfolio of high-performance materials designed to improve durability, thermal and chemical resistance, and environmental performance across diverse industries.

Arkema's operations are organized into four core segments. Adhesive Solutions delivers bonding, sealing, and coating technologies for markets such as packaging, medical devices, and consumer goods.

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