Huntsman Corporation (NYSE:HUN) Stock Now Rated "Hold" by Sell-Side Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts rate Huntsman “Hold” overall: Of 16 brokerages, nine issued hold ratings, four rated the stock a sell, two a buy and one a strong buy. The average 12-month price target is $11.29.
• Several firms recently cut their price targets to $9–$10, while Zacks downgraded Huntsman to “strong sell,” reflecting cautious sentiment.
• Huntsman shares opened at $8.79, near the lower end of their 52-week range, while the company maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.0875 per share, yielding about 4.0% annually.

Shares of Huntsman Corporation (NYSE:HUN - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Hold" from the sixteen brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have given a hold recommendation, two have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $11.29.

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on HUN. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Huntsman from $10.00 to $9.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Huntsman from $10.00 to $9.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Huntsman from $11.00 to $9.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Huntsman from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Monday, October 12th. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of Huntsman in a report on Monday, October 12th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $10.00 price objective for the company.

Huntsman Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of NYSE HUN opened at $8.79 on Friday. Huntsman has a 52-week low of $7.30 and a 52-week high of $16.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 1.33. The business has a fifty day moving average of $9.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $11.53. The stock has a market cap of $1.54 billion, a PE ratio of -8.46 and a beta of 0.80.

Huntsman Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a dividend of $0.0875 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $0.35 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.0%. Huntsman's dividend payout ratio is -33.65%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Huntsman news, CEO Peter R. Huntsman purchased 100,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $9.81 per share, with a total value of $981,000.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 7,256,341 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $71,184,705.21. This trade represents a 1.40% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 6.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Huntsman

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Huntsman by 166.7% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,672 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 1,670 shares in the last quarter. Nykredit A S bought a new position in shares of Huntsman in the second quarter valued at about $32,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in Huntsman during the 2nd quarter worth about $45,000. Allworth Financial LP acquired a new position in Huntsman during the 2nd quarter worth about $52,000. Finally, Essential Partners LLC grew its holdings in Huntsman by 40.3% during the 1st quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 5,766 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $77,000 after acquiring an additional 1,655 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.81% of the company's stock.

About Huntsman

Huntsman Corporation NYSE: HUN is a global manufacturer of differentiated and commodity chemical products. Founded in 1970, the company develops and produces materials used by manufacturers in a broad range of industries, including construction, automotive, aerospace, electronics, energy, coatings, adhesives and consumer products.

Huntsman's principal businesses include polyurethane products, performance products and advanced materials. Its portfolio includes polyurethane systems and intermediates, epoxy and other specialty resins, curing agents, amines, maleic anhydride and other chemicals used in insulation, composites, coatings, adhesives and industrial applications.

The company serves customers internationally through manufacturing facilities, research and development operations, and sales offices in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and other regions.

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