Huntsman (NYSE:HUN) Trading 6.8% Higher - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Shares of Huntsman jumped 6.8% intraday to $12.544 on Thursday, with 2.78 million shares traded (about 57% below average) after a prior close of $11.75.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed — MarketBeat shows an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $12.41, though Citi and JPMorgan recently raised targets to $14 while Goldman Sachs and Weiss maintain sell views.
• Huntsman reported a Q loss of ($0.37) EPS

Huntsman Corporation (NYSE:HUN - Get Free Report) shares traded up 6.8% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $12.51 and last traded at $12.5440. 2,775,234 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 57% from the average session volume of 6,489,449 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.75.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Huntsman in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Huntsman from $9.00 to $12.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Huntsman from $12.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Huntsman from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $11.00 to $14.00 in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "sell" rating and issued a $13.00 price target on shares of Huntsman in a research report on Friday, February 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Huntsman presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $12.41.

Huntsman Trading Up 6.1%

The stock has a market cap of $2.17 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.58 and a beta of 0.66. The stock's fifty day moving average is $12.12 and its 200 day moving average is $10.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 1.30.

Huntsman (NYSE:HUN - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The basic materials company reported ($0.37) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.29) by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $1.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.34 billion. Huntsman had a negative return on equity of 3.97% and a negative net margin of 5.00%.Huntsman's revenue was down 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.25) EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Huntsman Corporation will post 0.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Huntsman Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.0875 per share. This represents a $0.35 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. Huntsman's dividend payout ratio is presently -21.34%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Strategic Advocates LLC purchased a new stake in Huntsman during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Huntsman during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Huntsman by 104.9% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,935 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 2,015 shares in the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC boosted its holdings in Huntsman by 2,182.0% during the third quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 4,313 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 4,124 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd grew its position in shares of Huntsman by 986.0% during the 3rd quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 6,505 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 5,906 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 84.81% of the company's stock.

Huntsman Company Profile

Huntsman Corporation is a global manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemicals with headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas. Founded in 1970 by entrepreneur Jon Huntsman Sr., the company has grown through strategic acquisitions and organic expansion to establish a broad portfolio of products serving diverse end markets. Huntsman maintains a presence in more than 30 countries, operating manufacturing facilities across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East.

The company organizes its operations into several core business segments, including Polyurethanes, Performance Products, Advanced Materials, and Textile Effects.

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