Short Interest in Lsb Industries Inc. (NYSE:LXU) Decreases By 41.8%

Key Points

• Short interest decreased 41.8% — short interest fell to 1,144,206 shares as of April 15 (from 1,967,476 on March 31), giving a short-interest ratio of 0.7 days and only 1.6% of shares sold short.
• Insider activity: Director Barry H. Golsen sold 17,813 shares on Feb. 11, insiders have sold 46,635 shares in the past 90 days, and company insiders own about 3.0% of the stock.
• Recent performance and outlook: LSB beat the quarter (EPS $0.22 vs. $0.18; revenue $165.05M vs. $153.88M), the stock trades near $14.59 with a $1.05B market cap and a consensus analyst target of $15.17 with an average "Hold" rating.

Lsb Industries Inc. (NYSE:LXU - Get Free Report) saw a large drop in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 1,144,206 shares, a drop of 41.8% from the March 31st total of 1,967,476 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,585,567 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.7 days. Currently, 1.6% of the company's shares are sold short.

Insider Activity

In other Lsb Industries news, Director Barry H. Golsen sold 17,813 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.04, for a total transaction of $178,842.52. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 46,635 shares of company stock worth $468,083. 3.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lsb Industries

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kennedy Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Lsb Industries by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 277,355 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $2,358,000 after purchasing an additional 1,210 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its stake in shares of Lsb Industries by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 89,804 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $700,000 after purchasing an additional 1,616 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Lsb Industries by 8.5% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 21,573 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $183,000 after purchasing an additional 1,692 shares in the last quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC raised its stake in shares of Lsb Industries by 21.0% in the 3rd quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 12,354 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $97,000 after purchasing an additional 2,148 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in shares of Lsb Industries by 7.4% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 38,916 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $257,000 after purchasing an additional 2,692 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.67% of the company's stock.

Lsb Industries Stock Up 1.4%

Lsb Industries stock traded up $0.20 during trading on Monday, reaching $14.59. 820,293 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,531,579. The company's 50-day moving average is $13.66 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 2.61 and a current ratio of 2.78. Lsb Industries has a 52-week low of $5.64 and a 52-week high of $17.22. The firm has a market cap of $1.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.90 and a beta of 0.48.

Lsb Industries (NYSE:LXU - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The conglomerate reported $0.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.04. Lsb Industries had a net margin of 4.00% and a return on equity of 4.90%. The firm had revenue of $165.05 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $153.88 million. On average, analysts predict that Lsb Industries will post 0.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Lsb Industries from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Lsb Industries from $11.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Zacks Research cut shares of Lsb Industries from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and issued a $14.00 target price (up from $13.00) on shares of Lsb Industries in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Lsb Industries from $9.75 to $16.50 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $15.17.

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.

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