Alps Advisors Inc. Boosts Holdings in Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A. (NYSE:SQM)

Alps Advisors Inc. raised its position in Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A. (NYSE:SQM - Free Report) by 57.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 97,934 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 35,552 shares during the period. Alps Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Sociedad Quimica y Minera were worth $3,891,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in SQM. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake in Sociedad Quimica y Minera by 803.4% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,075 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 956 shares in the last quarter. Grove Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in Sociedad Quimica y Minera in the first quarter valued at $46,000. National Bank of Canada FI acquired a new position in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera during the 4th quarter worth about $68,000. CX Institutional purchased a new stake in Sociedad Quimica y Minera during the 1st quarter valued at about $74,000. Finally, Greenline Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera during the 4th quarter worth approximately $102,000. 12.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera Price Performance

NYSE:SQM traded down $1.42 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $36.50. 1,376,832 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,108,970. The company has a market cap of $10.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.30 and a beta of 1.07. Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A. has a 52-week low of $29.36 and a 52-week high of $45.89. The company has a current ratio of 2.88, a quick ratio of 1.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $34.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $37.03.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera (NYSE:SQM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 28th. The basic materials company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.63 by ($0.15). Sociedad Quimica y Minera had a return on equity of 11.71% and a net margin of 13.45%. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.05 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($3.04) earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A. will post -1.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on SQM. Scotiabank dropped their target price on shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a "sector outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera from $44.00 to $39.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, June 12th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera from $55.00 to $45.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $41.14.

About Sociedad Quimica y Minera

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile SA operates as a mining company worldwide. The company offers specialty plant nutrients, including sodium potassium nitrate, specialty blends, and other specialty fertilizers under Ultrasol, Qrop, Speedfol, Allganic, Ultrasoline, ProP, and Prohydric brands. It also provides iodine and its derivatives for use in medical, agricultural, industrial, and human and animal nutrition products comprising x-ray contrast media, biocides, antiseptics and disinfectants, pharmaceutical intermediates, polarizing films for LCD and LED screens, chemicals, organic compounds, and pigments, as well as added to edible salt to prevent iodine deficiency disorders.