Zacks Research Upgrades Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) to "Strong-Buy"

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) from “hold” to “strong-buy,” adding to a generally bullish analyst backdrop for the stock.
• Other firms have also turned more positive, with price targets raised by Wells Fargo, UBS, Jefferies, and Mizuho; the broader analyst consensus remains “hold” with an average target price of $194.13.
• Albemarle’s latest quarterly results were strong, as EPS came in at $2.95 versus the $1.24 estimate and revenue rose 32.7% year over year to $1.43 billion, even as the stock traded down 2.1% on Monday.

Albemarle (NYSE:ALB - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Albemarle from $165.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Albemarle from $230.00 to $264.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Albemarle from $230.00 to $244.00 in a research report on Monday. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Albemarle from a "sell (d-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Albemarle from $185.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $194.13.

Albemarle Trading Down 2.1%

Shares of ALB opened at $205.66 on Monday. Albemarle has a 1-year low of $53.70 and a 1-year high of $221.00. The company has a 50-day moving average of $180.77 and a 200 day moving average of $156.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -60.31, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 2.07 and a quick ratio of 1.21.

Albemarle (NYSE:ALB - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.95 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.24 by $1.71. Albemarle had a negative net margin of 5.00% and a positive return on equity of 5.22%. The company had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.34 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.18) EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 32.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Albemarle will post 9.22 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Albemarle news, CEO J Kent Masters sold 11,783 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.81, for a total transaction of $2,012,654.23. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 134,628 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,995,808.68. The trade was a 8.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.42% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Albemarle

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Evexia Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of Albemarle by 2.3% during the first quarter. Evexia Wealth LLC now owns 2,088 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $387,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Albemarle by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 2,468 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $349,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC increased its stake in shares of Albemarle by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC now owns 5,769 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $816,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Sigma Planning Corp increased its stake in shares of Albemarle by 2.3% during the first quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 2,952 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $530,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Albemarle by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,592 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $508,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.87% of the company's stock.

Key Albemarle News

Here are the key news stories impacting Albemarle this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank raised its price target on Albemarle to $250 and kept a buy rating, signaling continued upside potential. Article link
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada lifted its target to $253 and reiterated outperform, while Jefferies and Argus also boosted targets, reinforcing a bullish Street view. Article link
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks added ALB to its Rank #1 Strong Buy list and highlighted strong earnings estimate revisions and momentum strength. Article link
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary points to Albemarle’s 26% three-month rally, supported by lithium price tailwinds, solid demand, and an improved earnings outlook. Article link
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles simply note elevated investor attention and compare ALB’s performance with the broader basic materials sector, without adding a major new catalyst. Article link

About Albemarle

Albemarle Corporation is a leading global specialty chemicals company primarily engaged in the production and distribution of lithium, bromine, and catalysts. Its lithium segment supplies key components used in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, portable electronics, and grid storage systems. The company's bromine specialty products serve a wide range of industries, including oil and gas drilling fluids, fire safety solutions, and water treatment. In its catalysts division, Albemarle provides products for petroleum refining, chemical processing and emissions control.

Founded in 1994 as a spin-off from Ethyl Corporation, Albemarle has grown through strategic acquisitions and capacity expansions to become one of the world's foremost chemical producers.

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