Chesapeake Capital Corp IL Invests $391,000 in Albemarle Corporation $ALB

Chesapeake Capital Corp IL purchased a new position in shares of Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 2,764 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock, valued at approximately $391,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of ALB. Strategic Advocates LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Albemarle during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. MH & Associates Securities Management Corp ADV purchased a new stake in shares of Albemarle during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. BOKF NA raised its stake in shares of Albemarle by 5,771.4% during the third quarter. BOKF NA now owns 411 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 404 shares during the last quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC raised its stake in shares of Albemarle by 36.8% during the third quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 413 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Albemarle by 536.7% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 573 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 483 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.87% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on ALB shares. Rothschild & Co Redburn cut Albemarle from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $188.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. UBS Group upped their price target on Albemarle from $230.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Albemarle from $216.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Evercore upped their price target on Albemarle from $100.00 to $180.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Argus upped their price target on Albemarle from $140.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $189.04.

Albemarle Trading Up 2.7%

Albemarle stock opened at $203.72 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $24.02 billion, a PE ratio of -59.74, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a current ratio of 2.07, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $179.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $154.41. Albemarle Corporation has a 52 week low of $53.70 and a 52 week high of $221.00.

Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.24 by $1.71. The company had revenue of $1.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.34 billion. Albemarle had a negative net margin of 5.00% and a positive return on equity of 5.22%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 32.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.18) EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Albemarle Corporation will post 8.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Albemarle Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 12th will be issued a $0.405 dividend. This represents a $1.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 12th. Albemarle’s dividend payout ratio is -47.51%.

More Albemarle News

Here are the key news stories impacting Albemarle this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target on Albemarle to $225 from $210, suggesting further upside potential even though the rating remained neutral. Benzinga report on Citigroup target hike
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analysts increased price targets this week, including Wells Fargo, Robert W. Baird, and Mizuho, signaling improving sentiment toward Albemarle’s outlook. Tickerreport.com
• Positive Sentiment: Albemarle beat Q1 estimates with EPS of $2.95 versus $1.24 expected, while revenue also topped forecasts, driven by stronger lithium pricing and volumes. Zacks value-stock article
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage around the earnings call highlighted strong momentum, reinforcing the view that Albemarle’s operating trends improved meaningfully in the quarter. TipRanks earnings call summary
• Neutral Sentiment: One article compared Albemarle with LyondellBasell from a value-investing perspective, but it was more of a relative valuation discussion than a direct catalyst. Zacks comparison article

Insider Transactions at Albemarle

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

Albemarle Profile

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.