Century Aluminum Company (CENX) - What Are Analysts Saying About This Stock?

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is moderately positive: Four of seven analysts rate Century Aluminum a Buy and three rate it Hold, with an average 12-month price target of $61. Several firms have recently lowered targets, including B. Riley to $64 and UBS to $55.
• Q3 results were mixed: Revenue rose 52% year over year to $961.2 million, beating estimates, while shipments increased about 33% after the Iceland smelter restart. Adjusted EPS of $2.58 fell short of the $2.67 consensus, with power and operating costs cited as pressures.
• Shares opened at $33.47, compared with a 52-week range of $25.40 to $70.43; the company has a market capitalization of about $3.31 billion.

Shares of Century Aluminum Company (NASDAQ:CENX - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the seven ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $61.00.

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Century Aluminum from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, September 20th. B. Riley Financial reduced their target price on shares of Century Aluminum from $72.00 to $64.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Zacks Research raised Century Aluminum from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, October 19th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Century Aluminum from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of Century Aluminum in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company.

Century Aluminum Trading Up 11.3%

NASDAQ:CENX opened at $33.47 on Friday. Century Aluminum has a 1-year low of $25.40 and a 1-year high of $70.43. The business's 50-day moving average price is $37.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $49.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 2.17. The company has a current ratio of 2.75, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

Century Aluminum (NASDAQ:CENX - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The industrial products company reported $2.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.67 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $961.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $951.71 million. Century Aluminum had a return on equity of 33.83% and a net margin of 22.63%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 52.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.56 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Century Aluminum will post 7.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hollencrest Capital Management bought a new stake in Century Aluminum in the first quarter worth $29,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new position in Century Aluminum during the 2nd quarter worth $37,000. Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new position in Century Aluminum in the 1st quarter valued at about $42,000. Strs Ohio purchased a new position in Century Aluminum in the 1st quarter valued at about $47,000. Finally, Compass Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Century Aluminum during the 3rd quarter worth $61,000. 61.59% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Century Aluminum News

Here are the key news stories impacting Century Aluminum this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Shipments rose about 33% sequentially to 173,483 tonnes, aided by the restart of the company’s Iceland smelter. Revenue increased 52% year over year to $961.2 million, while reported diluted EPS was $2.89, up from $0.56 a year earlier. Century Aluminum Q3 results
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly revenue exceeded analyst estimates, and the production recovery could support further sales growth if operating conditions remain favorable. Iceland smelter restart and Q3 performance
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo lowered its price target from $79 to $71 but kept an Overweight rating, indicating continued optimism despite a more cautious valuation. Wells Fargo rating and target
• Negative Sentiment: Adjusted EPS was $2.58, below the cited analyst consensus of $2.67. Reports attributed pressure to power and operating costs, tempering the strong shipment and revenue figures. Q3 results and cost pressures

Century Aluminum Company Profile

Century Aluminum Company is a producer of primary aluminum. The company operates aluminum smelters that convert alumina into aluminum metal, supplying standard-grade and value-added products used in transportation, construction, packaging, aerospace, and other industrial applications.

Century Aluminum's operations are located in the United States and Iceland. Its U.S. facilities include the Sebree smelter in Kentucky and the Mt. Holly smelter in South Carolina, while its Icelandic operations are based at the Grundartangi aluminum smelter.

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