Orion (NYSE:OEC) Downgraded to Sell Rating by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Orion (NYSE:OEC) from a "hold" to a "sell," and MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of "Strong Sell" with a consensus price target of $5.58.
• Orion reported Q4 EPS of ($0.34) versus a ($0.08) estimate (a notable miss) while beating revenue expectations ($411.7M vs. $365.8M); shares opened at about $6.49, with a market cap near $365M and a 1‑year range of $4.34–$13.02.
• Analyst coverage is tilted negative (one Hold, four Sell); recent moves include Mizuho raising its target to $5.25 (underperform), UBS to $6.50 (neutral), Zacks cutting to "strong sell," and Weiss reissuing a "sell," while institutional and hedge fund ownership sits around 94.33%.

Orion (NYSE:OEC - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on the company. Mizuho increased their price objective on Orion from $4.50 to $5.25 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. UBS Group raised their price target on Orion from $6.00 to $6.50 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Zacks Research lowered Orion from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Orion in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Strong Sell" and a consensus target price of $5.58.

Orion Trading Up 3.3%

Shares of NYSE OEC opened at $6.49 on Wednesday. Orion has a 1-year low of $4.34 and a 1-year high of $13.02. The company has a 50-day moving average of $5.93 and a two-hundred day moving average of $5.89. The company has a market cap of $365.14 million, a PE ratio of -5.15 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75.

Orion (NYSE:OEC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.34) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.08) by ($0.26). The company had revenue of $411.70 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $365.79 million. Orion had a negative net margin of 3.88% and a positive return on equity of 6.52%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Orion will post 1.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Orion

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Quarry LP grew its position in shares of Orion by 430.9% in the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 5,861 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 4,757 shares during the period. Performa Ltd US LLC raised its holdings in Orion by 690.0% during the 4th quarter. Performa Ltd US LLC now owns 7,900 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 6,900 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC bought a new position in Orion in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $53,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its stake in Orion by 277.5% in the fourth quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 11,147 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 8,194 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Orion by 16.4% in the fourth quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 12,340 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $65,000 after buying an additional 1,742 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.33% of the company's stock.

Orion Company Profile

Orion Engineered Carbons SA, operating as Orion NYSE: OEC, is a global producer of carbon black, a critical performance additive used to enhance the strength, durability and conductivity of various materials. The company’s products chiefly serve the tire and rubber industry, where carbon black imparts wear resistance and longevity, as well as the plastics, coatings, inks and battery components markets, where specialty grades deliver tailored conductivity and color properties.

Orion’s product portfolio is organized into two core segments: Rubber and Specialty and Chemical Specialties.

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