Squarepoint Ops LLC Sells 65,325 Shares of Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. $AXTA

Key Points

• Squarepoint Ops LLC reduced its Axalta stake by 43% in the second quarter, selling 65,325 shares and retaining 86,595 shares valued at approximately $3.0 million. Institutional investors collectively own 98.28% of the company.
• Axalta exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.72 EPS versus the $0.65 consensus and $1.35 billion in revenue, up 3.1% year over year. The company maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $2.55–$2.70.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: KeyCorp initiated coverage with an “overweight” rating and a $47 target, while the broader analyst consensus remains “Hold” with a $36.85 target price.

Squarepoint Ops LLC trimmed its stake in Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. (NYSE:AXTA - Free Report) by 43.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 86,595 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after selling 65,325 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC's holdings in Axalta Coating Systems were worth $2,963,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Principal Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Axalta Coating Systems by 7.5% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 7,292 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $236,000 after acquiring an additional 511 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in Axalta Coating Systems by 65.9% in the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,453 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 577 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in Axalta Coating Systems by 197.7% in the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 908 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 603 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in Axalta Coating Systems by 31.9% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 3,173 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $103,000 after buying an additional 768 shares during the period. Finally, Mint Tower Capital Management B.V. bought a new stake in shares of Axalta Coating Systems during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors own 98.28% of the company's stock.

Axalta Coating Systems Price Performance

Axalta Coating Systems stock opened at $34.24 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $7.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 1.12. Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. has a 1 year low of $24.94 and a 1 year high of $38.61. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $35.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $31.83.

Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE:AXTA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.65 by $0.07. Axalta Coating Systems had a net margin of 6.78% and a return on equity of 22.35%. The business had revenue of $1.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.31 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.64 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Axalta Coating Systems has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.550-2.700 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.700-0.700 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. will post 2.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Axalta Coating Systems

Here are the key news stories impacting Axalta Coating Systems this week:

• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp initiated coverage with an “overweight” rating and a $47 price target, implying substantial upside from the recent trading level. The bullish rating is likely the main catalyst supporting AXTA’s move higher. KeyCorp initiates coverage of Axalta Coating Systems
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp expects Axalta to earn approximately $3.00 per share in fiscal 2027 and $3.20 in fiscal 2028, well above the current-year consensus estimate of $2.64. The projections suggest confidence in longer-term earnings growth and could support investor interest.
• Neutral Sentiment: KeyCorp’s quarterly estimates call for $0.72 EPS in the third quarter of 2026 and $0.67 EPS in the fourth quarter. These forecasts provide an updated earnings framework but do not represent a change to company guidance.
• Neutral Sentiment: A Zacks comparison examines whether Axalta or Hawkins (HWKN) offers the better value among specialty chemical stocks. The article may influence value-focused investors, although the provided report does not identify a definitive winner or announce a fundamental change at Axalta. AXTA versus HWKN value comparison

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Axalta Coating Systems in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Axalta Coating Systems from $35.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. KeyCorp initiated coverage on Axalta Coating Systems in a report on Friday. They set an "overweight" rating and a $47.00 price target for the company. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Axalta Coating Systems from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Mizuho raised their price objective on Axalta Coating Systems from $32.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Axalta Coating Systems currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $36.85.

Axalta Coating Systems Profile

Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. is a global coatings company that develops, manufactures and sells protective, decorative and functional coatings. Its products are used by automotive manufacturers, vehicle repair and refinish businesses, industrial equipment producers, commercial transportation companies and other customers seeking to protect surfaces from corrosion, weathering and wear.

The company's offerings include liquid and powder coatings, primers, clearcoats, electrocoat systems, sealants and other coating technologies.

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