Huntsman (NYSE:HUN) Trading Down 4.6% – Time to Sell?

Shares of Huntsman Corporation (NYSE:HUN) traded down 4.6% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $10.73 and last traded at $10.7760. Approximately 577,232 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 91% from the average daily volume of 6,357,400 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.30.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $15.00 target price on shares of Huntsman in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Huntsman from $11.00 to $15.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Citigroup raised their price target on Huntsman from $14.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Bank of America lifted their price target on Huntsman from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Huntsman from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Huntsman has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $13.75.

Huntsman Stock Performance

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $13.39 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $12.63. The company has a market cap of $1.95 billion, a PE ratio of -5.78 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 0.75.

Huntsman (NYSE:HUN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported ($0.20) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.23) by $0.03. Huntsman had a negative net margin of 5.83% and a negative return on equity of 4.60%. The company had revenue of $1.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.39 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted ($0.11) EPS. Huntsman’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Huntsman Corporation will post -0.24 EPS for the current year.

Huntsman Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a $0.0875 dividend. This represents a $0.35 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Huntsman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -18.23%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Huntsman

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in Huntsman by 166.7% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,672 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,670 shares during the period. Strategic Advocates LLC acquired a new position in shares of Huntsman during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Essential Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Huntsman by 40.3% in the first quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 5,766 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $77,000 after acquiring an additional 1,655 shares in the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in Huntsman in the 3rd quarter valued at about $58,000. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its position in Huntsman by 1,005.9% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 6,514 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 5,925 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.81% of the company’s stock.

Huntsman Company Profile

Huntsman Corporation is a global manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemicals with headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas. Founded in 1970 by entrepreneur Jon Huntsman Sr., the company has grown through strategic acquisitions and organic expansion to establish a broad portfolio of products serving diverse end markets. Huntsman maintains a presence in more than 30 countries, operating manufacturing facilities across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East.

The company organizes its operations into several core business segments, including Polyurethanes, Performance Products, Advanced Materials, and Textile Effects.