Century Aluminum Company (NASDAQ:CENX) Given Consensus Rating of "Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Five brokerages give Century Aluminum a consensus Buy rating with an average 1‑year price target of $57, and recent upgrades/target increases from B. Riley ($68), Wells Fargo ($69) and Zacks (to Strong‑Buy).
• Latest quarter: EPS of $1.25 matched estimates while revenue of $633.7M fell short of forecasts; the stock trades around $48.40 with a 12‑month range of $13.05–$59.12, a market cap of $4.79B and a PE of ~121.
• Notable insider and institutional activity: insiders sold 401,626 shares (~$20.8M) in the last 90 days leaving just 0.76% insider ownership, while institutional investors own about 61.6% of the company.

Shares of Century Aluminum Company (NASDAQ:CENX - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus rating of "Buy" by the five brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $57.00.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Century Aluminum in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. B. Riley Financial boosted their price target on shares of Century Aluminum from $64.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Century Aluminum from $61.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Zacks Research upgraded Century Aluminum from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Century Aluminum from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, February 21st.

Century Aluminum Stock Down 3.6%

NASDAQ CENX opened at $48.40 on Friday. Century Aluminum has a 12 month low of $13.05 and a 12 month high of $59.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.97, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The stock has a market cap of $4.79 billion, a PE ratio of 121.00 and a beta of 2.17. The stock's 50 day moving average is $50.83 and its 200 day moving average is $38.48.

Century Aluminum (NASDAQ:CENX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The industrial products company reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25. Century Aluminum had a net margin of 1.65% and a return on equity of 5.57%. The business had revenue of $633.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $661.63 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.49 EPS. The company's revenue was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Century Aluminum will post 2.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Century Aluminum

In other news, SVP Matt Aboud sold 12,126 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.50, for a total transaction of $636,615.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 67,814 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,560,235. This represents a 15.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Robert F. Hoffman sold 10,529 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.51, for a total transaction of $594,993.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 56,643 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,200,895.93. This trade represents a 15.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 401,626 shares of company stock worth $20,847,911. 0.76% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Century Aluminum

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Century Aluminum by 22.1% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 39,001 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $724,000 after purchasing an additional 7,051 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new stake in shares of Century Aluminum in the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in shares of Century Aluminum by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 59,186 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,098,000 after buying an additional 1,069 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Century Aluminum by 21.2% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 124,001 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,301,000 after acquiring an additional 21,702 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Century Aluminum by 12.9% in the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 4,414 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $80,000 after acquiring an additional 506 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.59% of the company's stock.

Century Aluminum Company Profile

Century Aluminum Company is a primary aluminum producer that develops and operates smelters designed to supply low-carbon, high-purity aluminum products to a range of industrial and commercial markets. Established in 1995, the company has grown to become a significant North American aluminum producer with an expanding international footprint. Century Aluminum is headquartered in the United States and is focused on energy-efficient operations and cost management.

The company's core operations include three primary aluminum smelting facilities located in Hawesville, Kentucky; Mount Holly, South Carolina; and Grundartangi, Iceland.

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