Basf (OTCMKTS:BASFY) Hits New 1-Year High After Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Key Points

• BASF hit a new 52-week high after reporting quarterly results that beat expectations — EPS $0.39 vs. $0.31 consensus and revenue $18.74B vs. $18.44B, with the stock trading up to $16.15 (last $15.91).
• Analyst sentiment is mixed with several upgrades (Deutsche Bank, DZ Bank, Berenberg) and some cuts (Barclays, Santander), leaving an average MarketBeat rating of "Hold" (1 Strong Buy, 3 Buy, 4 Hold, 1 Sell); the company has a $56.8B market cap and a P/E of 31.2.

Basf Se (OTCMKTS:BASFY - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Friday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock traded as high as $16.15 and last traded at $15.91, with a volume of 18886 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $16.0750.

The basic materials company reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.08. Basf had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 4.37%. The business had revenue of $18.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.44 billion.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on BASFY shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Basf from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Barclays cut shares of Basf from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Berenberg Bank raised shares of Basf from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Santander cut shares of Basf to a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, DZ Bank raised shares of Basf from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold".

Basf Trading Down 1.0%

The firm has a market cap of $56.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.20, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 1.93 and a quick ratio of 1.19. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $14.70 and a 200 day moving average of $13.65.

Basf Company Profile

BASF SE is a Germany-based chemical company founded in 1865 (originally Badische Anilin- & Soda-Fabrik) and headquartered in Ludwigshafen. It is one of the world's largest chemical producers, supplying raw materials, intermediates and finished chemical products to a broad range of industries including automotive, construction, agriculture, consumer goods, electronics and industrial manufacturing. The company combines large-scale production with global commercial and logistics networks to serve customers in many end markets.

BASF's activities span basic and specialty chemicals, performance materials, functional additives, catalysts and coatings, as well as products for nutrition and personal care.

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