Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) Stock Dropped to “Hold” by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Saturday,Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on ALB. Scotiabank cut their target price on shares of Albemarle from $200.00 to $190.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Truist Financial reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $170.00 price target (down from $185.00) on shares of Albemarle in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Albemarle from $160.00 to $140.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and set a $175.00 price objective on shares of Albemarle in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated a “reduce” rating and set a $161.00 price objective on shares of Albemarle in a report on Monday, August 10th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $177.64.

Albemarle Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of Albemarle stock opened at $99.03 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $107.59 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $147.87. Albemarle has a 1 year low of $89.77 and a 1 year high of $221.00. The company has a market capitalization of $11.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.92, a P/E/G ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 2.34 and a quick ratio of 1.35.

Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.05. Albemarle had a net margin of 10.40% and a return on equity of 14.91%. The firm had revenue of $1.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.52 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted ($0.19) earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Albemarle will post 11.23 EPS for the current year.

Albemarle Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 18th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Albemarle’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.61%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albemarle

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Primecap Management Co. CA acquired a new stake in Albemarle during the second quarter worth approximately $358,101,000. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in Albemarle in the 2nd quarter valued at $131,049,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in Albemarle in the 2nd quarter valued at $103,268,000. Aberdeen Group plc lifted its position in shares of Albemarle by 5,344.0% during the 3rd quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 753,618 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $79,718,000 after acquiring an additional 739,775 shares during the period. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its position in shares of Albemarle by 2,981.1% during the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 733,793 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $77,621,000 after acquiring an additional 709,977 shares during the period. 92.87% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Albemarle News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Albemarle this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Albemarle reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $2.58 per share, ahead of estimates, on $1.55 billion in revenue—also above forecasts and up 18.8% year over year. Higher lithium pricing, strong demand, cost reductions and improved Specialties profits supported the results. Albemarle Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Cost Discipline and Lithium Demand
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank maintained its “Sector Outperform” rating and $190 price target, estimating EPS of $11.64 for FY2026 and $14.15 for FY2027—above the cited current-year consensus estimate. Albemarle analyst coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Truist reaffirmed its “buy” rating, though it lowered its price target to $170 from $185. Truist rating information
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC cut its target to $119 from $129 but retained an “outperform” rating, reflecting a more cautious valuation alongside continued optimism about the shares. RBC rating information
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays lowered its target to $95 from $109 and kept an “equal weight” rating, pointing to a less favorable near-term risk-reward view. Lithium prices remain volatile, a potential source of uncertainty for earnings. Barclays rating information

About Albemarle

Albemarle Corporation is a specialty chemicals company that produces lithium, bromine and refining catalysts. Its products serve industries including energy storage, transportation, electronics, petroleum refining and pharmaceuticals.

The company supplies lithium compounds used in rechargeable batteries and other applications. It also makes bromine-based products for uses such as flame retardants and water treatment, along with catalysts used in refining petroleum.

Albemarle traces its history to 1887 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.