Kettle Hill Capital Management LLC Invests $3.11 Million in LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB)

Kettle Hill Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 41,831 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock, valued at approximately $3,107,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Graham Capital Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries during the 4th quarter worth approximately $320,000. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc raised its holdings in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 207.8% during the fourth quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 2,254,589 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $167,448,000 after purchasing an additional 1,522,043 shares during the period. Family Management Corp bought a new stake in LyondellBasell Industries in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,785,000. Citizens Business Bank raised its position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 24.6% during the 4th quarter. Citizens Business Bank now owns 45,868 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $3,407,000 after buying an additional 9,046 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG grew its stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 38.4% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 1,446,788 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $107,453,000 after purchasing an additional 401,412 shares during the last quarter. 71.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on LYB. StockNews.com lowered LyondellBasell Industries from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. Fermium Researc upgraded LyondellBasell Industries to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on LyondellBasell Industries from $81.00 to $65.00 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $72.00 to $62.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, UBS Group restated a "sell" rating and set a $51.00 price objective (down previously from $76.00) on shares of LyondellBasell Industries in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $69.75.

Insider Buying and Selling at LyondellBasell Industries

In other news, Director Michael Sean Hanley purchased 3,750 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $72.05 per share, for a total transaction of $270,187.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 16,028 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,154,817.40. This trade represents a 30.54% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

LyondellBasell Industries Stock Down 2.1%

LyondellBasell Industries stock traded down $1.27 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $59.08. 411,109 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,442,679. The business's 50-day moving average price is $63.30 and its 200-day moving average price is $73.06. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. LyondellBasell Industries has a 52-week low of $51.11 and a 52-week high of $101.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.87.

LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.03). LyondellBasell Industries had a net margin of 3.39% and a return on equity of 15.97%. The business had revenue of $7.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.69 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.53 earnings per share. LyondellBasell Industries's revenue for the quarter was down 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that LyondellBasell Industries will post 6.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

LyondellBasell Industries Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were given a dividend of $1.34 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.07%. LyondellBasell Industries's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 165.43%.

LyondellBasell Industries Profile

LyondellBasell Industries N.V. operates as a chemical company in the United States, Germany, Mexico, Italy, Poland, France, Japan, China, the Netherlands, and internationally. The company operates in six segments: Olefins and PolyolefinsAmericas; Olefins and PolyolefinsEurope, Asia, International; Intermediates and Derivatives; Advanced Polymer Solutions; Refining; and Technology.