LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB) Hits New 12-Month High at $107.02

Shares of LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $107.02 and last traded at $102.66, with a volume of 1453119 shares. The stock had previously closed at $101.45.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup raised their price objective on LyondellBasell Industries from $96.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on LyondellBasell Industries from $99.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 30th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $105.00 to $117.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Barclays upped their price target on LyondellBasell Industries from $100.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Wolfe Research initiated coverage on LyondellBasell Industries in a research report on Friday, March 1st. They issued an "underperform" rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $105.08.

LyondellBasell Industries Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $33.27 billion, a PE ratio of 15.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.18. The stock's fifty day moving average is $101.14 and its 200-day moving average is $96.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 2.12 and a quick ratio of 1.32.

LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 26th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.36 by $0.17. LyondellBasell Industries had a net margin of 5.20% and a return on equity of 19.31%. The business had revenue of $9.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.70 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.50 EPS. The business's revenue was down 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that LyondellBasell Industries will post 8.5 EPS for the current year.

LyondellBasell Industries Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 4th were paid a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.89%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 1st. LyondellBasell Industries's dividend payout ratio is currently 77.28%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Kenneth Todd Lane sold 29,229 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.19, for a total value of $2,899,224.51. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 91,758 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,101,476.02. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Kenneth Todd Lane sold 29,229 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.19, for a total value of $2,899,224.51. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 91,758 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,101,476.02. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Robin W.T. Buchanan sold 18,111 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.46, for a total value of $1,819,431.06. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 12,276 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,233,246.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 80,853 shares of company stock valued at $8,077,267. 0.11% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On LyondellBasell Industries

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of LYB. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. lifted its holdings in LyondellBasell Industries by 4.4% in the 1st quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 17,688 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $1,809,000 after purchasing an additional 745 shares in the last quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in LyondellBasell Industries during the first quarter worth approximately $2,887,000. Qsemble Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in LyondellBasell Industries in the 1st quarter worth approximately $3,809,000. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 23.3% during the 1st quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 77,132 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $7,889,000 after purchasing an additional 14,598 shares during the period. Finally, Inspire Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 26.5% during the first quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 18,116 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $1,853,000 after purchasing an additional 3,799 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.20% of the company's stock.

About LyondellBasell Industries

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.