Lsb Industries (NYSE:LXU) Posts Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.42 EPS

Key Points

• Lsb Industries reported a quarterly loss of $0.09 per share, missing analysts’ consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.42. The company posted an 8.91% return on equity and a 7.16% net margin.
• Shares traded near $11.46, within a 12-month range of $7.09 to $17.22. Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating, with an average price target of $14.67.
• Insiders recently sold shares, including a 40,000-share sale by director Lynn F. White and a 9,554-share sale by SVP Kristy Carver; institutional investors own 73.67% of LXU.

Lsb Industries (NYSE:LXU - Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The conglomerate reported ($0.09) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.33 by ($0.42), Zacks reports. Lsb Industries had a return on equity of 8.91% and a net margin of 7.16%.

Lsb Industries Price Performance

Shares of LXU traded up $0.03 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $11.46. The stock had a trading volume of 890,888 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,113,837. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 2.85 and a current ratio of 3.07. Lsb Industries has a 12 month low of $7.09 and a 12 month high of $17.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $824.50 million, a PE ratio of 18.19 and a beta of 0.34. The company's 50-day moving average is $11.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.28.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LXU has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group set a $16.00 target price on Lsb Industries and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Wall Street Zen cut Lsb Industries from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, July 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Lsb Industries in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Lsb Industries from $15.00 to $13.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Lsb Industries has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $14.67.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lsb Industries news, SVP Kristy Carver sold 9,554 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.38, for a total value of $118,278.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 47,452 shares in the company, valued at approximately $587,455.76. This trade represents a 16.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Lynn F. White sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.80, for a total value of $472,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 202,489 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,389,370.20. This represents a 16.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 3.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Lsb Industries

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV bought a new position in Lsb Industries in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $97,000. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lsb Industries by 27.8% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 313,048 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $2,661,000 after purchasing an additional 68,178 shares during the period. VARCOV Co. acquired a new position in shares of Lsb Industries during the fourth quarter worth $184,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL grew its stake in shares of Lsb Industries by 581.8% in the fourth quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 342,894 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $2,915,000 after purchasing an additional 292,599 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oxford Asset Management LLP bought a new stake in shares of Lsb Industries in the fourth quarter worth $167,000. 73.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Lsb Industries

LSB Industries, Inc NYSE: LXU is an Oklahoma City–based manufacturer of chemical products serving the agricultural, industrial and defense markets. The company operates primarily through two segments: Fertilizer Solutions and Commodities Solutions. Through its Fertilizer Solutions segment, LSB produces primary nitrogen products—including anhydrous ammonia and technical-grade ammonium nitrate—that are sold to fertilizer distributors and agricultural retailers across North America. Its Commodities Solutions segment manufactures and sells nitric acid, sodium nitrate and other nitrate-based compounds for industrial applications such as mining, water treatment and specialty chemical production, as well as defense-related formulations used in munitions and pyrotechnics.

Incorporated in 1969, LSB Industries has grown from a single production site to multiple manufacturing facilities strategically located in the central United States.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.