BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. Buys New Shares in Century Aluminum Company $CENX

Key Points

• BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. bought a new position of 100,000 shares in Century Aluminum (NASDAQ:CENX) in Q3, worth about $2.94 million and representing roughly 0.11% of the company.
• Insiders have been net sellers — 241,097 shares worth about $11.93 million were sold over the last 90 days (including EVP John Dezee's 66,000‑share sale) while institutional investors own about 61.59% of the stock.
• Century Aluminum reported Q EPS of $1.25 (in line with estimates), trades near its 1‑year high with a $5.39B market cap, and carries an average analyst rating of "Buy" with a consensus target near $54.33.

BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. bought a new position in Century Aluminum Company (NASDAQ:CENX - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 100,000 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $2,936,000. BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. owned 0.11% of Century Aluminum as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Century Aluminum by 22.1% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 39,001 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $724,000 after acquiring an additional 7,051 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new position in shares of Century Aluminum in the first quarter worth about $25,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in shares of Century Aluminum by 1.8% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 59,186 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,098,000 after purchasing an additional 1,069 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in shares of Century Aluminum by 21.2% during the first 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 worth $2,301,000 after purchasing an additional 21,702 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fox Run Management L.L.C. bought a new stake in Century Aluminum during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $641,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.59% of the company's stock.

Century Aluminum Stock Performance

NASDAQ:CENX opened at $54.45 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $5.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 136.13 and a beta of 2.16. Century Aluminum Company has a 1 year low of $13.05 and a 1 year high of $56.96. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $48.46 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $35.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.97 and a quick ratio of 0.98.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP John Dezee sold 66,000 shares of Century Aluminum stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.72, for a total transaction of $3,347,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 97,647 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,952,655.84. The trade was a 40.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Matt Aboud sold 2,971 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.67, for a total transaction of $156,482.57. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 64,843 shares in the company, valued at $3,415,280.81. This trade represents a 4.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 241,097 shares of company stock worth $11,932,418 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.68% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on CENX. Zacks Research raised Century Aluminum from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Century Aluminum from $46.00 to $61.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Century Aluminum in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. B. Riley Financial boosted their target price on shares of Century Aluminum from $64.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Century Aluminum from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $54.33.

About Century Aluminum

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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