Century Aluminum (NASDAQ:CENX) Stock Rating Lowered by Zacks Research

Century Aluminum (NASDAQ:CENX) was downgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Century Aluminum from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. BMO Capital Markets set a $75.00 target price on shares of Century Aluminum and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Century Aluminum from $77.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. B. Riley Financial lifted their target price on shares of Century Aluminum from $68.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Century Aluminum from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Century Aluminum currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $80.00.

Century Aluminum Stock Performance

NASDAQ CENX opened at $60.91 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 2.30 and a quick ratio of 1.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.18 and a beta of 1.90. The company’s fifty day moving average is $62.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $50.65. Century Aluminum has a 52-week low of $16.59 and a 52-week high of $70.43.

Insider Transactions at Century Aluminum

In related news, CEO Jesse E. Gary sold 150,000 shares of Century Aluminum stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.47, for a total transaction of $8,320,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 142,580 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,908,912.60. This trade represents a 51.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.84% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Century Aluminum

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CENX. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new position in shares of Century Aluminum in the first quarter worth about $25,000. Private Trust Co. NA bought a new position in shares of Century Aluminum in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Hollencrest Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Century Aluminum in the first quarter worth about $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Century Aluminum by 253.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,822 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,306 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in shares of Century Aluminum in the third quarter worth about $34,000. 61.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Century Aluminum Company Profile

Century Aluminum Company is a primary aluminum producer that develops and operates smelters designed to supply low-carbon, high-purity aluminum products to a range of industrial and commercial markets. Established in 1995, the company has grown to become a significant North American aluminum producer with an expanding international footprint. Century Aluminum is headquartered in the United States and is focused on energy-efficient operations and cost management.

The company’s core operations include three primary aluminum smelting facilities located in Hawesville, Kentucky; Mount Holly, South Carolina; and Grundartangi, Iceland.