Huntsman (NYSE:HUN) Shares Up 5.7% - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Huntsman shares rose 5.7% to about $9.48, although trading volume was roughly 80% below the average daily level.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: Huntsman has a consensus “Hold” rating from MarketBeat, with an average price target of $11.31; several firms recently lowered their targets.
• CEO Peter Huntsman bought 100,000 shares, while institutional investors own 84.81% of the stock. The company’s market capitalization is approximately $1.69 billion, and its shares remain below the 200-day moving average.

Huntsman Corporation (NYSE:HUN - Get Free Report)'s stock price was up 5.7% during trading on Friday. The stock traded as high as $9.50 and last traded at $9.4780. 1,034,762 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 5,057,147 shares. The stock had previously closed at $8.97.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on Huntsman from $16.00 to $11.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Huntsman from $10.00 to $9.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Huntsman in a report on Monday, October 12th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $10.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Huntsman from a "sell (d)" rating to a "sell (d-)" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Huntsman from $11.00 to $9.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Huntsman currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $11.31.

Huntsman Stock Up 7.3%

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.69 billion, a PE ratio of -9.25 and a beta of 0.80. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $9.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $11.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

Insider Buying and Selling at Huntsman

In other Huntsman news, CEO Peter R. Huntsman purchased 100,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $9.81 per share, for a total transaction of $981,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 7,256,341 shares in the company, valued at $71,184,705.21. The trade was a 1.40% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 6.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Huntsman

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Huntsman in the 2nd quarter valued at about $193,750,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Huntsman by 16.9% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 6,950,777 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $92,509,000 after acquiring an additional 1,003,187 shares during the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Huntsman by 1.9% in the first quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 5,816,359 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $77,416,000 after acquiring an additional 111,181 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Huntsman in the second quarter valued at approximately $23,596,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its stake in Huntsman by 117.1% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,037,635 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $13,811,000 after acquiring an additional 559,585 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.81% of the company's stock.

Huntsman Company Profile

Huntsman Corporation NYSE: HUN is a global manufacturer of differentiated and commodity chemical products. Founded in 1970, the company develops and produces materials used by manufacturers in a broad range of industries, including construction, automotive, aerospace, electronics, energy, coatings, adhesives and consumer products.

Huntsman's principal businesses include polyurethane products, performance products and advanced materials. Its portfolio includes polyurethane systems and intermediates, epoxy and other specialty resins, curing agents, amines, maleic anhydride and other chemicals used in insulation, composites, coatings, adhesives and industrial applications.

The company serves customers internationally through manufacturing facilities, research and development operations, and sales offices in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and other regions.

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